This Time Around
by Crimson Skies
Summary: A six year old Sasuke wakes from a nightmare...but Itachi wouldn't really kill the clan, right? As for Naruto, well, maybe he won't be so alone...this time around.
1. Nightmare

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter One – Nightmare**

_The clashing chakra of two powerful techniques surrounded the combatants in an orb of light. _

_This just wouldn't do. For a creature over a millennia old, death was simply not a viable option. And currently, he was very concerned about his odds of survival. He couldn't possibly trust the idiot to get them out of this situation alive. He had no doubt that the Sharingan brat would kill them. It's certainly what _he_ would do in the brat's position. If he was going to ensure his own survival he'd have to take matters into his own claws…_

_Red chakra bled into the white, distorting the orb. The two opponents looked on in confusion. _

_And then they were gone…_

Sasuke sat up straight in bed, wide awake. He tried desperately to calm his hard breathing as he surveyed his room. Gingerly, he rubbed a phantom ache at the back of his neck. The morning light filtered in, illuminating his surroundings. Everything was exactly the same as it always was. He was still six years old. Had it been a nightmare? But it had been so real. Still…cursed seals, Itachi slaughtering the clan, living without his family, Sasuke himself trying to kill his best friend, actually being _friends_ with someone like him, betraying Konoha…it was just so far-fetched.

Getting up, he approached the mirror on the wall. Tugging at his collar, he revealed the unmarked skin on his neck. No ugly black marks adorned his skin.

"Sasuke! Breakfast!" his mother's voice drifted through the walls. Smiling tentatively at his reflection, Sasuke pushed the disturbing dream to the back of his mind where they lingered uncomfortably.

That afternoon something occurred that further shook him. His brother returned from a mission. Upon seeing Itachi's face, an uncontrollable rage rushed through Sasuke. Scenes of his clan's death flashed before his eyes. And before he knew what he was doing his hands flashed through the seals for chidori. He abruptly stopped when Itachi gave him a weird look and asked what he was doing. The anger drained from him. None of that had happened, and chidori didn't really exist, right?

Since when did dreams act like memories?

It was the next day, when everything would change.

Sasuke eyed the setting sun critically. It was probably about time he should be getting home. Supper would be ready soon. Besides, all the other kids had already gone home. Climbing down from the tree he was perched in, he glanced around the park one last time. He stilled when he caught sight of a familiar blond boy he hadn't noticed previously. The boy was sitting sideways on a swing, staring at the shadows stretched across the ground from the bars of the swing set. He was all alone.

The Uchiha's heart nearly stopped. It was _him_. But he didn't exist. He was a figment of Sasuke's dream, a specter of a future that didn't exist. He had to know. With halting steps, he approached the other boy. At the sound of footsteps nearing, the blond looked up at him. Sasuke found himself staring into a familiar blue. The memories assaulted him.

_My dream is to surpass all the previous Hokage!_

_It's not really a dream so much as an ambition…_

_Kage__ bunshin no jutsu!_

_Are you hurt, scaredy cat?_

_Because I'm the most improved!_

_You asked Sakura for tips. What did she tell you?_

_Why! I never asked for your help…_

_You…don't die._

_I want to fight you too._

_You better save Sakura._

_I will protect Sakura-chan._

_But first, put on your forehead protector._

_Don't get cocky._

_If I have to I'll drag you back. _

_You won't even put a scratch on my forehead. _

_Dobe_

_Bastard!_

Sasuke found his feet carrying him until he stood a mere yard from the occupied swing. The other boy's face was carefully blank, lacking its ever-present grin. Looking into those eyes, it was just hunch, but he had to know. And he knew he had to make the first move.

"Dobe," he said, keeping his face equally blank. Those blue eyes widened slightly. Suddenly a grin lit the blond boy's face.

"Bastard," he retorted.

"So it wasn't a dream? It really happened?" Sasuke asked. His mind whirled at the implications.

"It did. It was all real," Naruto answered. "I didn't realize that you would…remember."

"Is this a genjutsu?" he wondered aloud.

"No, we're really here."

"And here is the past? How do you know for sure?" It seemed too strange to be real. Naruto shrugged and formed a hand seal.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu," he said calmly. A clone appeared beside him. "Two days ago I couldn't do this…" he explained.

"You're actually saying something intelligent." A surprising calm had washed over him. The person he thought he was really existed. He'd been on the verge of identity crisis with all the memories that had no obvious source.

"Bastard. I can be serious sometimes you know."

Sasuke thought back on their confrontation in the Valley of the End. "I know."

Sasuke claimed the swing next to Naruto's. They sat in silence for a moment, not sure what to say. As they sat, the sun slowly sank from the horizon. Stars began to appear in the sky. Where did they go from here?

"I tried to kill you…" Sasuke said finally. "I really meant to kill you."

"I know. Are you going to try again?" Naruto inquired.

"No." he responded without hesitation. "Why would I?"

"No cursed seal. No Orochimaru?"

"No Orochimaru," he agreed. "My family is still alive," he added.

"Itachi?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"Hasn't killed them yet. I can't avenge something that hasn't happened," Sasuke explained. "But I can prevent it," he said, a hard glint entering his eyes. Naruto looked at him in shock. Memories of what brought them to this point surfaced. Sasuke gave him a moment to catch on.

"There are a lot of things we could prevent," Naruto noted. Sasuke nodded in agreement.

"Yeah." Suddenly, Sasuke became aware of exactly what time it was. His eyes widened in panic. "Geez, Mom's going to kill me. She'll be worried sick!" He shot to his feet.

"That's just weird, coming from you!" Naruto whined. Never had he seen Sasuke this open. Probably something to do with his family still being alive.

"What were you still doing out here anyway?" he asked. "Everyone else has gone home."

"…I lost the key to my apartment…" Naruto admitted.

"You're kidding…" He smirked at Naruto's expression. "Baka."

"Bastard!" an enraged expression crossed his face.

Sasuke took a few steps before turning back. "…you could stay with me. Mom is always saying I should have friends over."

"What, like a sleepover?" Naruto asked, shell-shocked.

"…I guess."

"COOL!" Naruto's face looked like Christmas come early. It was with a pang of sadness that Sasuke remembered. Unlike him, Naruto was still alone, even this far back in the past.

"I…I won't try to kill you again," Sasuke declared suddenly. "I promise." Naruto smiled at him.

"Good. Because we'll make sure you don't have a reason to. Besides, friends don't hurt friends. Right?"

"Yeah."

And Naruto thought that maybe, this time around, he wouldn't have to be so alone.

"Oh, and dobe?"

"What?"

"You better not snore…"

* * *

There you have it, the beginning on my take of a "Naruto goes to the past" fic. I promise you it will be somewhat different from the norm. Sasuke presence should be a dead giveaway. Please tell me what you think. And on another note, I'm deciding yet on pairings…if any. Feel free to give me your input (I promise to consider all suggestions) but be warned that this isn't a poll. The pairings will ultimately be my decision.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Oh, and please review!


	2. Mikoto

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Two – Mikoto**

Mikoto thought she knew her child. For years she could tell you exactly how Sasuke would react to just about anything. Indeed, she felt she knew him better than anyone. So she was utterly shocked when one day he brought home a friend. Sasuke didn't _have_ friends. She'd encouraged him to try and make a few, but he was a natural loner. The only person he seemed to go out of his way to spend time with was his older brother. Normally, she would have been overjoyed at the prospect of Sasuke making a friend.

But why did it have to be…that monster?

Of all the children Sasuke could have chosen, he picks the fox. They went everywhere together. And when Sasuke had brought the fox home that first night several months ago, and looked up at her with pleading eyes, she hadn't had the heart to say no to him. Still, she hated the idea of being hospitable to that _demon_. It chafed at her every time she glimpsed him. Not that she saw him much. No, he and Sasuke had taken to disappearing for hours on end.

It was strange. Not only was her Sasuke spending the majority of his time with that thing, but his basic reactions had also changed. He scowled more often now, and at some of the strangest things. At the same time, he also smiled more, particularly when his friend was around. He also found the weirdest things funny, as if he was responding to some inside joke. What was even weirder was that he was avoiding Itachi like the plague. It was hard to remember that Sasuke once idolized his older brother. Now whenever Itachi entered a room, Sasuke would immediately find some excuse to leave. She was beginning to worry. Already she had begun to think that maybespending time with that thing had done something to him.

What disturbed her the most, however, was how he treated her. It was as if he thought she would disappear on a moment's notice. She often caught him staring at her with a distant look in his eyes. And now whenever she asked him to do something, such as cleaning his room, he never complained. And every night he hugged her before going to bed.

And him and that fox boy had the strangest conversations. It was while she overheard one of these conversations that some of her preconceptions were shattered mercilessly.

Sasuke had, once again, talked her into letting his friend stay for dinner. It was one of the few things he argued about with her anymore. He and the fox were finishing dinner while she washed dishes.

"Geez Naruto! I thought you only ate ramen in mass quantities. Why do you always scarf down every meal like it's your last?" Sasuke inquired.

_Because he's a ravenous demon, of course._ She thought to herself.

"All that training really works an appetite, ya know!" he replied. By the tone of his voice, it was obvious that he had that huge grin plastered on his face. She couldn't see then, since she was facing the sink, but there was a lot you could learn from the tone of voice. So she didn't see it when Sasuke studied the blond skeptically.

"The truth, if you don't mind," Sasuke demanded. Mikoto started. She wouldn't have guessed he was lying.

_Typical of someone like him._ She hid her scowl, keeping her face carefully blank.

"…Geez. I can't get anything past you, huh? Bastard," the boy whined. She fumed at the insult aimed towards Sasuke. She was too angry to notice that the name held no true venom.

"Of course not," Sasuke replied, his smirk practically audible. She didn't see Naruto shrug, but she did hear the rustle of cloth as he shifted uncomfortably.

"…It's because I don't know when I'll eat next," Naruto sighed. That…hadn't been what she was expecting. Apparently neither had Sasuke. There was pregnant pause before he responded.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" he asked sharply.

"You know how orphans are allotted a certain amount of money every month in order to buy basic supplies?" Naruto asked. Mikoto didn't see it, but because Naruto continued, she guessed that her son had nodded his affirmative. "Well sometimes…sometimes they…_forget_."

"They _forget?_"

_They forget? _Mikoto echoed mentally.

"You've probably noticed that I'm…not well liked. So sometimes they _forget_," Naruto affirmed.

"You're kidding," Sasuke protested. Naruto's silence was answer enough. Instead, Mikoto heard him stand and gather his utensils. Bringing them to the counter, he set them in the sink.

"Thank you very much for dinner, Uchiha-san. Do you need any help?"

Mikoto stared at his dishes, which had been completely scraped clean. Glancing sideways at the boy, she saw genuine gratitude reflected in his eyes. Suddenly she felt uncomfortable. Mutely she shook her head. She was no longer confident in her voice. This…wasn't what she had expected.

"I should probably leave before it gets dark," Naruto noted as he glanced out the window. "Thanks for having me." Without waiting for a reply, he headed towards the door. It was obvious he wanted to leave before any more uncomfortable questions could be asked. Sasuke wasn't going to have it. Right before Naruto reached the door, Sasuke snagged his arm.

"Did you always like ramen…or is that an acquired taste?" Sasuke wondered aloud.

_Because ramen is cheap…_Mikoto added mentally. She also pondered, not for the first time, when Sasuke started using words like 'acquired'.

"I really do like ramen!" Naruto protested. "So I don't really mind. Ramen is awesome! And it comes in all kinds of flavors so it's never boring!" he exclaimed.

"Dobe."

"I get by. I promise. I'm fine," Naruto assured him. "I never dropped dead before, I won't now." Sasuke realized he was referring to his alternate life. Mikoto just assumed he was talking about when he was younger. After that, Sasuke reluctantly released his grip, and the blond fled quickly.

That night Mikoto had difficulty sleeping. An image of the fox boy refused to leave her alone. When he and Sasuke had talked, he'd sounded _different_ from the loud obnoxious boy she always saw. He was still annoying and outspoken, but there was more depth to him than she'd previously assumed. And worst of all, those words kept echoing through her head.

_They forget._

When he'd said that he'd sounded so…young. And at the same time, very old. For the first time, she found herself wondering at how someone could mistake a little boy for a rampaging demon. He wasn't…what she had always assumed. Realizing this, she still found it difficult to let go of her hatred of the fox boy.

The next morning Sasuke looked at her in surprise. It was his first day at the academy and she had made him a bento. However, instead of giving him just one, she gave him two.

"One's for your friend," she explained. He eyed her questioningly, but accepted it without protest.

It was going to be difficult to shed that habitual hatred, but she thought it was a good start.

* * *

Well, what did all of you think? I don't think Sasuke's mother's name is specified in the anime, so I gave her one myself. Hope no one minded. I still haven't decided on any one pairing. This story is pretty much writing itself. They're probably a good chance that there won't be any pairings at all, but I'd still like to hear your opinions on the subject. I will say that even if there is romance I'll probably make it subtle. I will promise that it won't be overwhelming.

Thanks to:

**Peter Kim, Cilla, maleficus-lupus, artofillusion, Krylancelo, blackhypnos101, Kittfox, stargazer92, MingShun, Anon., pixy, **and **eve**

For reviewing. I love all you guys.

P.S. - about half the people who reviewed this chapter said that Sasuke's mother's name is Mikoto, so I've decided to go with that. Thanks guys.


	3. In Theory

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Three – In Theory**

"So, a few days before killing your clan, he killed Shisui? And after that he gained this…special sharingan thingy?" Naruto asked to check his understanding of the story. His brow was furrowed in concentration. Sasuke sighed, but didn't bother him to correct him about the name. Naruto may be bad at remembering names, but Sasuke knew he'd grasped the essential points.

"That's right," he confirmed.

"We can use that…I know we can…" Naruto muttered softly, still deep in thought. He crossed his arms and frowned, something he's done often of late. That serious expression on Naruto's six year old face…heck, on Naruto's face at all…would have made him chuckle if the situation was not so dire. That had mere days left to figure out how to prevent his clan's slaughter with no luck. They'd been over this point before and had no luck but they knew it was the key.

They'd already dismissed a list of plans a mile long. The most straightforward of the ideas were not only impossible, they were just plain foolish. Confronting Itachi was not an option. They hadn't stood a chance against him in the future and they certainly didn't now. They'd been training, true, but they weren't even at the level they'd been when they graduated from the Academy yet. Chakra was a mix of physical and spiritual energy. Frankly, their bodies didn't have enough of it. It was true they knew how to use their techniques, but knowledge that couldn't be applied was useless.

Sasuke knew that if he even attempted chidori he would likely die. When he'd tested himself, he found he could use sharingan at the same level of mastery he could before he'd landed in the past. However, he couldn't use it for more than twenty seconds before exhausting chakra supply. If he concentrated, he could use the taijutsu moves he'd copied from Rock Lee, but they lacked the needed strength and speed necessary for effective usage. Naruto could form a single rasengan if he exausted his chakra, but couldn't even crack the bark of a tree. As for his infamous kage bunshin, he could create a maximum of two. He attributed this to Naruto's naturally high stamina. Simple henge and bunshin they could perform without much difficulty, however.

These things weren't the biggest problem, however. His body simply wasn't trained to react correctly. Sure he could use the taijutsu, but only if he concentrated solely on it. In real combat he couldn't afford that. His body needed to react automatically to certain situation. He should have to actually think through the process of hitting the target with his kunai. It should be automatic. If his mind was so busy telling his body exactly when and how to react he wouldn't be able to fight properly. And it was just plain irritating to have his mind react immediately in combat only to find his body wasn't keeping up. He and Naruto would probably spend the next few years building up their strength and chakra reserves. Considering how much they'd trained as kids before reaching the level they were at as genins, well, it would probably be a few years before he and Naruto reached the level of ability they were accustomed to.

So, fighting Itachi directly was not an option. They would both die. The end.

Another possibility was finding someone to help them. That option had been dismissed as quickly as the previous one. Even on the off chance that someone believed them, they didn't want to reveal their knowledge to anyone. A future they couldn't predict was one they couldn't change. They need to ensure they were in the right place at the right times to change the outcomes of the most important events. And Sasuke and Naruto both knew that meant the Chuunin exams, the pivotal point that could ruin Orochimaru's plan. So until it was absolutely necessary they were carefully guard their secret.

Of course, certain people might suspect something, but they'd never know enough to come to the correct conclusion. Which meant they were fairly safe from discovery. Of course if it came down to a choice between the preventing his clan's massacre and preserving their knowledge of the future, they'd agreed without hesitation to save his clan. It was a last resort anyway, since the chances of someone believing them were nil.

They both came to the conclusion that Itachi's initial confrontation with Shisui was somehow the key. They just didn't know how yet.

"We can't incapacitate Itachi, nor can we change his mind. From my experience I know he was already a head case before any of us guessed it. He's not like Gaara," Sasuke observed aloud. "You won't be talking, or beating, sense into Itachi."

"But somehow we have to stop him from slaughtering your clan," Naruto said, determination in his voice. Recently, it wasn't just for Sasuke's sake he wanted to save the Uchiha clan. Without realizing quite when, Uchiha Mikoto had been added to his list of precious people. At first, she'd been cold to him, as every other villager was, but it wasn't long before she'd changed. It wasn't obvious at first, but she now seemed to regard him with an increasing amount of warmth ever since she'd made that lunch for him. He wasn't sure what had triggered the change, but it seemed genuine, and he couldn't help but like her. He wouldn't forgive himself if they couldn't save her. He was just tearing his brain apart trying to figure out how. He hadn't been this frustrated since trying to learn rasengan.

"I think maybe we're looking at this the wrong way," Naruto declared suddenly, a thought striking him. During the first stage of leaning rasengan, he'd spent all his time spinning the water in one direction. When he was told to rotate the water, he'd just assumed to do it all in the same direction and then became stuck on that one idea, without considering others.

"What do you mean?"

"I think we're too focused on 'stopping Itachi' and not focused enough on 'saving the Uchiha clan,'" Naruto explained. "You've wanted revenge for so long that even though you're trying to save your clan, the only way you can see how is to somehow defeat Itachi."

"We've been stuck on 'defeating Itachi' instead of 'preventing massacre,'" Sasuke's words echoed Naruto's as tried to shift mindsets. Something clicked into place. "You're right…" he muttered in amazement. Ideas that previously refused to reveal themselves raced through his mind.

"I still don't have any ideas though," Naruto admitted.

"I think I might," Sasuke said after a long moment. "Itachi will probably get away, but that's not the point. You hit the nail on the head. I had to stop thinking about defeating Itachi and think more about saving my family. So what if Itachi gets away, right? One of the reasons his attack was so effective was because no one expected it. They may have suspected him of murder, but they didn't believe he had the ability, ambition, or gall to go after the entire clan. But if they knew how dangerous he was beforehand? For that matter, Shisui was supposed to be extremely strong in his own right. Itachi likely took him by surprise when he killed him. But if Shisui had some forewarning, and if a few highly skilled ninja showed up at just the right time…"

"He might be driven off at least?" Naruto asked, catching on. "But how do we do that without revealing our knowledge?"

"I think I might have a plan…"

* * *

Well, here it is. The third chapter of TTA. I hope it didn't disappoint any of your expectations. Sasuke's plan will be put in motion the next chapter and all of you will begin to see how successful it will be. Things rarely ever work out exactly the way you want them to. Other than that, you'll just have to wait and see.

On another note, I've got an interesting mix of responses about pairings. By far, more people have suggested I forgo pairings entirely. I can't promise this will be the case, but I can promise that romance IS NOT the purpose of my story. Any mention of romance will simply be included to add a bit of depth. Since love is a part of life, I hesitate to just ignore it. It's just not realistic to try and create a life where it doesn't exist. And since this story is about the lives of certain characters it's difficult to bypass. However, as I said before, it's not the focus. The focus is LIFE. Romance is a part of life, but just one part. And people can live without it. The characters will not, however be dating anyone in their pre/early teens. I just can't see it happening. And there will be no 'my first love is my soulmate' stuff either. People don't usually fall in love with the first person they have a crush on. Seriously. Be realistic. Oh, and the final pairings won't be NaruHina or SasuSaku. I guarantee it.

Thanks to:

**hecate-19, nice, Kurayami-no-Izou, Cilla, Peter Kim, pixy, Carscard, Atarii, person, KeeraSango, Frontier of Darkness, DSecret, stargazer92, dark-griffin, Byakuganchick, Ziz, Lost ninja #1, velevt oddessy, Bronwyn, cfox, Pie: Eater of cookies. , Audriel, lena, pixy, Morgri, thei, Krylancelo, yurok, MarysMary, mercva, pyrakitt, exrxr, blackhole, Shelly, Fic Slayr, Adhenefallen, Carrot-six, OtakuKyoki, TopQuark**

Wow! That was a larger response than I ever imagined. Thank all of you for your support. I hope you'll continue to enjoy reading this. The updates may be a bit slow because I'm extremely busy lately. Also, I've started writing a book(s) of my very own. Wish me luck, k?


	4. Intervention

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Four – Intervention**

Sasuke cursed inwardly. Again. He wished he'd had the foresight to wear insect repellent. It was becoming apparent that there were holes in his plan. Like how he was supposed to stay perfectly still while being eaten alive. Not to mention the fact that his legs had fallen asleep about twenty minutes ago. He just hoped that he wouldn't fall flat on his face at the crucial moment. It had rained the previous night and his skin was sticky with the humidity and his own sweat. He was six years old! He wasn't supposed to sweat this much! It was only about eighty degrees, but the humidity was so high that the heat was suffocating. He wasn't even going to think about Naruto humming as he accomplished his task, which Sasuke was hearing over their radios. Not that it sounded bad, he was just getting repetitive.

So here he was, crouched in the brush doing his very best to remain still. Despite the best efforts of the weather, mosquitoes, and his own body he refused to move. It was essential that he remain undetected. And with two highly skilled shinobi in the area that was going to be difficult. Itachi obviously wanted no witnesses to the murder he was planning. So if Itachi noticed him the plan was shot. Sasuke didn't know what would happen if Shisui detected him. In the best case scenario he wouldn't mention it.

The plan, though simple in theory, was complicated in reality. The timing was difficult, and extremely precise. They were also assuming that Itachi would react a certain way, and that was dangerous. However, it was the best idea they'd come up with, and they didn't have time left to formulate a new plan. This was it. If this didn't work they were screwed. If Sasuke was wrong then he and the clan would probably die this day.

But if Sasuke was right then he and the clan should survive. He had a theory, and it all stemmed from one question. Why did Itachi kill Shisui in secret a few days before slaughtering the rest of the clan? Shisui had to die in order for Itachi to gain mangekyou sharingan. But why kill him in secret if Itachi was strong enough to kill an entire clan? It was because without mangekyou Itachi _wasn't _strong enough, or so Sasuke had decided. When he'd fought Naruto at the Valley of the End, he'd improved drastically just by his sharingan evolving a level. Mangekyou must provide an increase in ability, but would probably take a day or two to master. That would explain why he waited a few days before killing the rest of the clan. Sasuke's plan was dangerous if he was wrong, and he knew it, but it was his best chance.

Just when he was beginning to think that he'd gotten the location wrong, Itachi and Shisui came into view. He couldn't hear what they were saying over the water, but there was definite tension in the air. That was a good sign. He and Naruto were counting on the water to mask the sound of their radio transmissions. It didn't matter if he could hear the two talking or not. It wouldn't take sharingan to feel the killing intent when Itachi decided to attack Shisui.

He watched as Shisui turned his back towards Itachi and crossed his arms, facing the river. Sasuke was able to read the words on his lips.

'I don't understand you anymore, Itachi. I'm beginning to wonder if I ever really did.'

It was at the moment that Sasuke felt Itachi's intention. Shisui turned, obviously sensing the same thing, but he was too late. Itachi lunged towards the other ninja's unprotected back the minute he saw his chance. Shisui was unprepared, not expecting his friend to attack him, even if they _had_ been drifting apart. However it was the moment Sasuke had been waiting for.

"Naruto, now!" he snapped over the radio before ripping the communicator off and launching a kunai at Itachi from his hiding spot across the river simultaneously.

Itachi evaded it, as Sasuke expected him to, causing him to abort his attack on Shisui. The advantage Itachi had at that moment slipped from his grasp. The other ninja knew his intention. Now was the moment that Sasuke had to reveal himself. If he didn't, then Itachi would attack the hidden third party first and ask questions later. If he knew it was Sasuke, he wouldn't bother. A sudden wave of rage rose up, but Sasuke stamped it out quickly. This was not the time.

Drawing in a deep breath, Sasuke fervently hoped that his acting skills were up to par. He and Naruto had run over the script for the last couple of days and he was pretty sure he could pull it off now. Launching out of the bushes, he succeeded in landing flat on his face as he'd half expected. His numb legs hadn't supported his weight. That was alright though. It added to the image of a clumsy younger brother.

Picking himself up, he made himself pant, as though he'd been running hard. With a slight wince he noted that he'd managed to twist his ankle. Forcing his eyes wide, he pretended to take in their battle ready stances with disbelief. The two glanced at him sideways, not really taking their attention of each other once they determined he wasn't a threat. Sasuke knew he had to keep up the act however.

"Nii-san? What's going on?"

"What are you doing here Sasuke? Stay back!" Shisui barked. Itachi remained silent.

"I…I was just training when I missed the target and the Kunai went flying this way," he stammered, feigning confusion. Itachi glared at him and for a brief second their eyes locked. His older brother's eyes widened slightly at some sudden revelation. Shisui took advantage of his inattention, slight as it was. Sasuke wanted to help fight, but knew that at his current level he'd just get in the way. Instead, he remained motionless, as if frozen in fear or shock. He knew if he tried to run Itachi would assume he was going for help and would do his best to stop him. And Sasuke knew from experience that Itachi's best was deadly. Besides, he wouldn't get far on his injured ankle anyway.

Now he couldn't only hope Naruto came through on his end. Shisui of the Mirage was a skilled fighter, Sasuke knew. But up until a moment ago he'd viewed Itachi as a friend and comrade and naturally held a few reservations. Itachi wasn't thus handicapped.

Naruto had decided that his part in the plan was the worst one. Sure, Sasuke was facing 'death by Itachi', but that was nothing compared to this! Naruto was being pursued by 'death ala enraged Uchiha mob.' Everything was going according to plan on his end, but both he and Sasuke hadn't taken into account the sheer rage of a wronged Uchiha, or a whole temple full of them for that matter. Seriously, Naruto was kicking himself. He should've known that after seeing Sasuke in 'avenger mode' on numerous occasions. Naruto could only hope they forgot about him in the coming chaos.

He'd been doing his part, painting graffiti on the large wall surrounding the Uchiha temple gounds. At that point in time, the only thing he had to complain about was that damn song stuck in his head. He'd resigned himself to humming it in hopes that Sasuke would have to share in his misery. In fact, he'd been busy painting the red part on the Uchiha clan symbol orange when the signal from Sasuke came.

"Naruto, now!"

As soon as he heard it Naruto promply kicked over the large stack of empty paint cans and supplies, causing them to clatter loudly. Sure enough, a group of Uchiha emerged from the temple where their meeting was being held to see what the racket was about. They stared in apparent horror at the wall. Graffiti was liberally scattered over the expanse of the wall as well as a very large, artistic rendition of Naruto's name. But worst of all, every one of the Uchiha clans infamous 'fans' in sight had been painted blue and orange.

"You brat! Did you think you'd get away with this you little monster!" One of them roared, starting towards him.

"Of course, dumbass! You morons won't ever catch me!" He yelled back, grinning. He started to turn, but as an afterthought, stopped to stick out his tongue before darting off. They pursued him of course, just like they were supposed to. If there was one thing Naruto knew better than anyone, it was how to aggravate people. This part of the plan had been his idea, and he pulled it off brilliantly. Though perhaps, considering the angry shouting behind him, he'd preformed a little too brilliantly.

The grin melted off Naruto's face. He really hoped he made it in time. More importantly, he hoped that they didn't catch him or he'd likely die a very painful death. Utilizing sheer power of will he pushed himself to move faster. They were gaining on him, but that was okay. He just had to make it to Sasuke before they caught him. The training grounds where Shisui and Itachi were likely fighting took about ninety seconds for him to reach at full speed. Naruto knew that in a battle of high class ninjas a lot could happen in a minute and a half. He really hoped that Sasuke didn't get himself killed during that time.

As he soon discovered, his fears were unfounded. When Naruto arrived on the scene Sasuke was standing to one side unharmed. Itachi, who had a gash on one leg was facing off against Shisui. The older Uchiha had definitely not faired as well in their battle. One of his arms was hanging limply and there was a cut through the right side of his face. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he'd never see out of that eye again. It made him wonder briefly, in the way random thoughts do, if Kakashi had bled that much when his eye had been cut. Being a ninja of course had cured him of any squeamishness rather quickly, so it didn't freak him out like it would a normal kid. He barreled through the space between the two surprised ninjas, tackling Sasuke into the bushes on his way completely by accident. Sasuke's head was bashed against a tree hard enough that he blacked out. That was when the group of Uchiha shinobi pursuing Naruto burst through the brush.

It didn't take the newly arrived shinobi long to assess the situation. Itachi, not knowing how things had suddenly turned drastically against him took the most sensible course of action. He fled. Of course, they didn't let him go without a fight. The battle unraveled before his eyes The five ninja who had arrived on Naruto's heels did their best to capture the rogue ninja. Unfortunately, four of those ninja were only about chuunin level in skill. In end, two shinobi lay dead and three others were critically injured, including Shisui. Itachi, before managing to escape, also gained heavy injuries. Naruto had to wonder how far he'd get with Konoha's ninja pursuing him. Knowing what he did of Itachi, however, Naruto wouldn't be surprised if the twisted bastard found a way to escape. Even so, it seemed they had succeeded in preventing a complete massacre.

It was in the rather stupefied state of the aftermath that Naruto discovered Sasuke's father was among the deceased.

Despite all their efforts, his father had still died.

A sense of gloom had invaded Naruto's mind. In addition to Sasuke's father and one of the others, another of the injured Uchiha died before the medics could reach him, bringing the fatalities to three. Also, Shisui had retired as a ninja because the medics determined he would never regain the use of his left arm, not to mention his eye. As for Naruto, the Uchiha clan had somewhat dismissed him in the aftermath, but that was a bittersweet victory. Sasuke had locked himself in his room for a week after the funeral, the duration of which Naruto spent scrubbing off the paint on the wall. He couldn't have brought himself to see Sasuke anyway.

It was in a somewhat detached state that Naruto moved through the following days. He had never been in a situation like this before. He felt horrible, and wanted to do something, but he had no idea what. When he finally did work up the courage to go, a teary eyed Mikoto met him at the door. She immediately floored him by sinking to her knees and enveloping him in a hug. Hesitantly he returned the embrace.

"Please help him. He won't talk to me," she choked. Naruto nearly started crying himself. She was obviously devastated. Her son had murdered her husband, and this time she had been left alive to deal with that. And now Sasuke wasn't talking to her either. He felt unbelievably powerless at that moment as she clung to him, crying. The memory of her tears falling on his shoulder would never leave him.

"I…I'll try," Naruto stammered. He flinched at the weakness in his words. But she nodded, not seeming to notice, and released him. Wiping the tears from her face, she offered him a watery smile. Silently she rose and led him to Sasuke's room, despite the fact that he already knew the way. She paused with her hand on the door.

"Sasuke, you have a visitor. Naruto's here," she tried. There was no reply. Sliding the door open, she ushered Naruto inside. "You…can help him," she whispered to Naruto before she left. "I don't know why, but I believe you can." She stared at the boy who had become her son's best friend before retreating down the hall.

Naruto inhaled briefly before approaching Sasuke. He spent a good minute studying his friend, who was sitting on the bed. Sasuke was a mess. His hair was ruffled, his clothes wrinkled, and it was obvious he hadn't slept well. Looking into his eyes, Naruto immediately noticed how they were glazed over. He could nearly see the scenes playing themselves out in Sasuke's eyes. Naruto knew immediately what was happening. Sasuke hadn't seen his father die this time, but it had happened…again. And now the recent trauma of losing his father again was causing him to relive the original horror. Naruto was no psychologist, but he knew his best friend.

Even so, he still didn't know what to do. He really, really wasn't good at this kind of thing. Something had to be done though, that was obvious. In the end, after much internal debate, he did the only thing he could think of. He punched him in the face. Hard. Hard enough to know him back onto the bed. Sitting up slowly, Sasuke stared at him. Naruto was relieved to see that Sasuke was looking at him instead of through him.

"Naruto…" he said tonelessly. Naruto shoved aside the feelings of sadness building inside of him and glared fiercely at his friend.

"There is a woman out there," he began, pointing towards the door, "who is in a lot of pain. Her husband was just killed by her eldest son and now her other son isn't talking to her. Go." He ordered.

"Naruto…" he repeated.

"Go God damn it! Before I drag your ass out there!" Naruto snarled.

"…I failed them again. I couldn't save him," came Sasuke's soft whisper. Naruto heard it nonetheless. His eyes softened, but he didn't relent.

"You didn't save him. It's true. But you saved her. You saved your mother, and your aunts and uncles and cousins. You saved your clan. Uchiha is more than just a name remembered in history books. It's a clan full of living, breathing people. It's your clan. It's different this time. You know how it could have been. You're not alone this time." Naruto told him in as a strong a voice as he could muster. "And your mother is waiting for you," he finished. For a long moment Sasuke stared at him. Naruto was all out of ideas. If this didn't work he didn't know what else to do.

"Where is she?" he asked finally.

"In the kitchen I think."

Sasuke rose and walked past him without another word. It didn't matter. Naruto knew deep down that he would be alright now.

Naruto had been right. Sasuke did recover, and surprisingly quickly. He mourned for a long time of course, but he did indeed remember how things could have been, and that was enough. He even apologized weeks later, in a roundabout way. Naruto had immediately brushed it of in a lighthearted fashion, and Sasuke was silently grateful. It was during that very conversation that Naruto had a shocking thought.

"You know, Orochimaru might not come after you," he observed with a bit of hope.

"Because there are more Uchiha left than just me? Maybe, but he'll probably think of me as his best option. It would be easier for him to capture a genin than a fully grown ninja. Besides, it's obvious I'm superior. He even said I had more potential than Itachi in the forest of death," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Arrogant bastard. Either way, he won't have a very difficult time finding a supply of bodies with the sharingan," Naruto added, a concerned glint in his eye.

"That could be a problem," Sasuke agreed. He crossed his arms and frowned, considering the turn of events carefully. "He could just go after someone else outright. If he does come after me and fails, then he may decide to settle for second best. Either way, I don't like the idea of him having sharingan," he admitted.

"That guy just creeps me out."

"I'm worried about Itachi too," Sasuke said suddenly.

"Because he got away? We thought he probably would," Naruto reminded him.

"It's not that. Right before he and Shisui started fight, he looked at me. He was surprised for some reason. I think he knew I was lying, but I don't know how."

"What do you think he'll do?"

"I don't know…"

They left it at that. What else was there to say? They'd have to find a way to deal with the situation as it evolved.

And as they would soon realize, there was something else they hadn't considered.

* * *

So what did you think? I was going to make this into two separate chapter originally, but I decided that would be just plain sadistic. It would have been a horrible cliffhanger. Instead, I decided to give you a chapter twice as long! Still, there's a bit of foreshadowing at the end there. I'll give anyone who can guess what I'm talking about a cyberspace cookie! I'll be REALLY surprised if someone thinks of it actually.

Thanks to:

**Wrath-of-air, Adhenefallen, Carrot-six, Le1, darkdragone, Peacebunnie, L.Mc'clown, Blind Kunoichi, Becky Yuy, Deathsyte01, Chocobaby, Hunter Hatake, Byakuganchick, Devilz-Fallen, kikyou-sama, Mister Pineapple, Shisou Tabris, delicheese, Marysmary, Dana, JayHun, Fic Slayr**

For reviewing. I appreciate the support immensely.


	5. Sakura

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Five – Sakura **

Twelve year old Haruno Sakura knew that she would never be the best ninja. As a matter of fact, she probably wouldn't be anything better than a run of the mill genin her entire life. From the moment she'd professed a desire to be a kunoichi she'd received strong disapproval. Her parents were not ninja, though two of her grandparents had been. It was a known fact that not everyone who went through the Academy became shinobi. Plenty of children never even entered the Academy. Every village, even a ninja one, needed civilian people to take care of everyday jobs.

Even so, Sakura had wanted to become a ninja. She didn't want to be a civilian citizen of Konoha. She wanted to be special. Her looks weren't extraordinary, though her mother had told her many times that they would change as she matured. She had no musical or artistic talent. She was not strong, nor was she fast. And though Ino had taken pity on her and befriended her, she wasn't popular. The best thing she had going for her was her sharp mind and her love of books. So she decided that she would learn everything thing there was to know about being a ninja. She memorized all the sayings and took careful notes on all the lessons. She studied the basics of chakra manipulation and basic strategy until she understood the theory behind them.

Her parents had initially let her enter the Academy, believing that she would drop out after a short time and take up a more average lifestyle as many children did. While possessing shinobi status was a mark of prestige, they didn't want that kind of dangerous lifestyle for their little girl. Unfortunately for them, Sakura hadn't quit. By the time they realized she was serious, it was too late. They had already given their word that she could, and they no longer had the heart to stop her. Despite this, Sakura still felt discouraged. Her family wasn't a traditional shinobi one. They possessed no special techniques or training methods as many other families did. Perhaps they had when her grandparents had been alive, but if so then those traditions had been lost.

Nevertheless, Sakura prevailed. The ambitions she held were small enough that she wasn't disappointed with her current standing. In the class rankings she was exactly in the middle. She excelled at theory and bookwork, even though her physical exams were below average. If there was one word Sakura would use to describe herself, it was average. Not that she would admit that to anyone, not even to her best friend Ino.

There was one other thing she would never admit to. She admired Uchiha Sasuke. Actually, she thought it was more of a crush than mere admiration, but thinking of it as admiration helped to keep things in perspective. While Sasuke was generally acknowledged as being the best looking genin of their year he was not very well liked. The adults didn't seem to think very highly of him, even if Sasuke was the number one rookie of their year. Not to mention Sasuke indifferent attitude towards everybody. The only person whose company he seemed to welcome was Naruto's. That was another drawback. Who wanted to hang around someone who's best friend was a loudmouthed idiot? Spending time with Sasuke meant being near Naruto, and _nobody_ seemed to hold much love for him. Even after Ino had rescued her, Sakura's good reputation had been a tenuous thing. She couldn't afford anything to mar it, like being near a certain dead last.

Shortly after these thoughts came on, Sakura dismissed them. It didn't do to dwell on thoughts like that. They would only make her depressed. It was a beautiful day and Sakura was determined to find a nice, quiet place to study outdoors. She knew she'd have to go out of her way to find an unoccupied area but it was definitely worth it. She had all afternoon to study. If she finished early, she could even start the new romance novel she'd gotten.

A brisk, twenty minute walk brought her to a training ground rarely used. It was one of the few training areas completely free of traps or dangerous wildlife. She knew of a clearing in the center of the wooded area that would make and excellent place to relax. Meandering between the trees, she admired the flickering patterns of sunlight that filtered through the leaves. Her eyes lifted just as she approached the clearing. It was lucky she looked up as when she did. Someone was already there.

Not wasting a moment, she concealed herself in the undergrowth and hoped he hadn't seen her. It would be just her luck if Naruto had spotted her. She'd have to find a new private place. She watched as stood perfectly still in the clearing, desperately willing him to go away. His eyes were darting left and right, surveying the area carefully. It was surprising to see him standing there, perfectly silent. What _was_ he doing?

Just as she wondered this, a dark figure darted out from the other side of the clearing. It took her a moment to realize it was Sasuke. That wasn't a surprise though. Where Naruto was, Sasuke usually wasn't far and vice versa. She was surprised however to see him launch himself at Naruto…only to pass straight through him. Naruto, who had turned to face Sasuke was obviously as surprised as she was. He faltered.

_Bunshin__…_she realized quickly. Sakura watched as the real Sasuke took advantage of his surprise to attack him. Naruto was not completely caught unaware, however, and leapt away. Sasuke's punch only grazed his side. The number one rookie didn't miss a beat, launching a handful of shuriken at the other boy. Sakura was not able to contain her surprised gasp. Those were live weapons. Naruto could be killed! It didn't happen, however. As soon as the shurikan were thrown, Naruto pulled out a kunai and successfully blocked them all. Sasuke, obviously unwilling to relinquish his advantage pressed the attack. In the flurry of kicks and punches they disappeared into the forest. Though she couldn't see them, she could hear the fight continue for several more minutes. Then there was silence.

A moment later, Naruto came crashing through the bushes, grumbling loudly. She was only able to catch the words bastard, trap, stupid, and mistake. Plopping down into a cross-legged sitting position in the clearing, he crossed his arms and huffed. Sasuke leapt into the area from a branch. A superior smirk adorned his face. Naruto snorted at him before seeming to ignore him completely. Sakura was unsure of what she had just witnessed. As it turned out, she was about to find out.

"You can come out Sakura-chan!" Naruto called with a wide grin. "We knew you were there since you arrived."

Sasuke nodded briefly in agreement while Sakura nearly face-vaulted. They had known she was there the entire time and she hadn't realized! That Sasuke detected her wasn't surprising, but Naruto? She was beginning to get freaked out. With a resigned sigh, she emerged from the leafy camouflage. As long as she was here she could at least demand some answers. She stood before them defiantly, her hands on her hips.

"What were you doing?" she asked, almost defensively.

"Don't worry. We're not mad that you spied on us," Naruto said with his usual amount of tact – absolutely none. However, Sakura was too surprised to be upset. He'd seen right through her.

"I'm not worried," she huffed. "I just want to know what you were doing."

"We were playing a training game," Naruto said, before being interrupted by Sasuke.

"We were _performing_ a training _exercise,_" he corrected with a frown.

"Oh, excuse me! We were _performing_ a training _exercise,_" Naruto repeated. "Because of course, The Almighty Uchiha Sasuke doesn't _play._ Heaven forbid anyone think he was _playing_ a _game_," Naruto spat, momentarily forgetting Sakura. "It's _beneath_ him afterall."

"It's a waste of breath trying to insult me, dobe. You lost either way," Sasuke sneered. A satisfied look crossed his face when Naruto snorted, but let it go.

"As I was saying it was a training ga…exercise," He said to Sakura, pointedly not looking at Sasuke.

"But what, exactly, were you doing?"

"One of us tries to retrieve this," Sasuke paused to pull a scroll out of the equipment pouch on his back, "from the other one. It's to improve retrieval skills and guard skills."

Sakura caught on quickly. "So, Naruto had the scroll and you stole it from him?" she asked.

"Yup! That's exactly it," Naruto confirmed.

"I still don't get it."

"Well, do you wanna try?" he asked. "It'll help you improve."

"I…" Sakura hesitated. She didn't think she'd be very good at this kind of thing.

"Being a ninja is more than just _knowing_ how. Anything can change in a real life situation. Theory only gets you so far," Sasuke informed her briskly. Naruto glared at him, but reluctantly nodded in agreement. They might as well have slapped her. The look on her face reflected her surprise. After a bit more convincing she finally gave in.

Sakura soon discovered that they were right. Nothing went by the book once put into practice. Improvisation was just as important as having a solid plan. She lost badly every time she participated in the exercise. When she complained that her hair was getting in her eyes Sasuke had just given her a hard look and had refrained from commenting. Strangely enough, it was Naruto who pulled her aside and braided her hair into two pigtails. She was so surprised she didn't stop him, nor did she ask where he learned to do that. In any case, it no longer flew in front of her face or got caught on branches. Admittedly, it was more practical, even if they didn't look particularly good. And while it helped, she still found herself at a disadvantage. However, she still had three months until the graduation test, and she vowed to improve before then.

She showed up at class the next morning with her hair in pigtails.

* * *

Well, what's the verdict? This chapter was a bit of a pain to write and I got stuck on a few places. I'm not sure it's up to the standard of my other chapters. I hope you enjoyed it in any case.

I thought I'd update everyone on my verdict in the area of pairings. I decided that there will be NO ROMANCE in this fic. I'm going to split this story into two parts. The first part is this fic, which will have no pairings. The second installment however, will have romance. I'll make this part have enough of a conclusion that the second part doesn't have to be read. That way if you don't like the pairing I choose, you don't need to read it. This way everyone's happy. The first installment will end after Tsunade becomes the Godaime. The second will pick up the story some years after that (or at least that's what I'm planning.) And don't ask what pairing the second one will be, 'cause I still don't know yet. I still have _at least_ fifteen more chapters to write for this part. It's going to be awhile before I finish.

Thanks to:

**Deathsyte01, hecate-19, Le1, Devilz-Fallen, Fic Slayr, Lyfe.exe, Carrot-six, Peacebunnie, HowLong, justareader, pixy, IgnitedFluffy, Lostlily, wolvesm0on, Akki no Tama, cfox, chibi-abi, ghost1,2,3, ShisouTabris, kasia, Peter Kim, shina-lim, ensngre, stargazer92, eyes0nme19, Krylancelo, kikyou-sama, Marysmary, kunoichimirai, Artemis, Dragon Noir, hujin, Raebef, carmsfic**

For reviewing. I love you guys!

P.S. This chapter is dedicated to **Menae**. She's helped in the creation of many plot ideas and is an excellent person to bounce ideas off of. **Menae**, all I have to say to you is, "AVENGER!"


	6. Duplicity

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Six – Duplicity**

"…_just like his brother…"_

"…_monster_..."

"…_might be…"_

"…_evil…"_

"…_traitor…"_

The whispers and malicious glares followed Naruto and Sasuke through town on their way to the Uchiha compound. Sasuke's ears weren't quite as sharp as Naruto's, likely due to Kyuubi's influence, so he missed most of the actual words. He was acutely aware, however, of the villager's feelings towards the two of them. Of course, the fact that it was true was the worst part. Sasuke knew very well that he was a traitor, even if the villager's didn't. Technically he hadn't done anything in this timeline. Both he and Naruto knew that in an alternate future he had, however. Naruto had forgiven him, which wasn't surprising since Naruto seemed incapable of absolute hatred. And for the first time he knew something of how Naruto felt as he grew up.

Sasuke had known before that the villagers disliked Naruto, but he didn't realize the depths of their hatred. They _loathed_ the blond. And yet Naruto didn't let this keep him down. It bothered him, Sasuke could tell. However, Naruto always picked himself right back up. Once again, he marveled at his friend's persevering personality. The worst part was that Sasuke hadn't even noticed how bad Naruto had it until he was put in a similar position. He still didn't know why they hated Naruto so much, but he was sure it was undeserved. Sasuke could recall the exact words Naruto used when asked about it.

"It's because they're scared. People hate what they fear, ninjas especially."

It had been a startling amount of wisdom coming from him of all people. Naruto had said it with a solemnity that struck home. And it was so very, very true. But he still didn't know exactly why they were fear Naruto. He was just so despicably nice, even if he was obnoxious, annoying, and loud. Sasuke wouldn't change his friend because then he would no longer be _Naruto_. How could they fear him?

Sasuke knew where the fear directed at himself came from. His father was dead, his mother wasn't an Uchiha by birth, and his brother was a traitor. That was what it all boiled down to. His brother was a traitor. And didn't he look and act so much like his elder sibling? And hadn't he idolized his brother? And wasn't he at the top of his classes, a 'genius'? And wasn't he always hanging around that 'brat'? And didn't they disappear for large amounts of time? This was how the villagers thought. It began with the Uchiha clan and spread to infect the rest of the Leaf.

It was hard to believe that these same people had admired and respected him in another life. With the extra animosity directed towards them, he and Naruto had worked doubly hard to keep their abilities secret. It was quickly realized that Sasuke couldn't reveal his sharingan to anyone – ever. Or, at least, he couldn't for a couple decades. The one thing reassuring the Uchiha clan that Sasuke was harmless was the fact that the sharingan hadn't manifested to their knowledge. The problem was that because Sasuke had already possessed all three marks when he'd first used sharingan because he'd already technically mastered the ability, even if his body couldn't hold it long. They couldn't find a way around it. Even if he revealed it later, people would wonder who taught him. And then he'd be labeled a prodigy – like his brother. The last thing they needed was another comparison being made between the two. It would cast even more suspicion on them. It was better this way. They would label him a failure and assume that Itachi inherited all the _real_ talent. This would also probably keep Orochimaru off of his back.

Admittedly, Sasuke knew he'd be irked at being called a failure once they thought he didn't have sharingan. Maybe he wasn't a failure as a ninja, but he'd never be seen as a 'real' Uchiha. Once again he was finding himself in Naruto's shoes. He was quickly realizing it was a rather unpleasant place to be. Even so, he'd never been happier. His mother was alive and so was his clan, even if they didn't like him very much. He had a purpose. He would devote himself to protecting the clan from destruction, even if they would never know. No doubt Itachi would be back some day, and Orochimaru would come around as well. These were the things that he and Naruto were preparing for.

The graduation exam was days away. He figured they had a ninety percent chance of being placed in team seven once more with Kakashi as their sensei. Sasuke was at the top of the class and Sakura has started her training too late to move up from the middle yet. Naruto, somehow, had managed to firmly grasp the place of dead last. This was actually an impressive accomplishment, knowing Naruto's fierce desire to prove his worth. It was especially difficult ever since Sasuke had discovered one of the major reasons for Naruto's difficulty.

No one had ever properly taught the blond how to read. According to Naruto, everyone who would care – in other words Iruka – had simply assumed he knew how. The Hokage tried, but hadn't had time to teach him more than bare basics. In school the teachers had successfully ignored him, and therefore he'd never been taught. It was really no surprise that his penmanship was barely legible. Sasuke had promptly been saddled with trying to teach him. It hadn't been that successful, since he was hardly the most patient of people. Therefore he'd requested help from his mother, who'd by that time had become quite fond of Naruto. She'd been horrified when she found out.

Even after the lessons, Naruto was only around Kiba's level academically. It was a huge improvement all things considered. Naruto simply wasn't the studying type. The hands on approach worked for him much better. Still, having improved significantly it became increasingly difficult for Naruto to feign ineptitude.

Things were working according to plan so far, except for one problem. Naruto had quit speaking to him. Sasuke wasn't sure what he'd done, but the blond was going out of his way to avoid Sasuke. It was a miracle that Naruto was even walking with him now. Only the fact that Mikoto had been asking about him convinced Naruto to come. Sasuke had begun to think it had something to do with how Naruto failed the test, only to show up with the rest of the graduates a couple days later. What he could possibly want to hide from him so badly, Sasuke didn't know. For some reason, that hurt a lot more than he'd thought it would.

A few days later, on their graduation day, Naruto was forced to admit to himself that his plan was rather stupid, but it was the best thing he could come up with on short notice. With the genin exams quickly approaching, he realized that he had a problem. It was one that Sasuke couldn't help with. In fact, the Uchiha was part of the problem. It was imperative that Naruto perform the charade of failing in order to lure Mizuki into baiting him. If he didn't Naruto wouldn't be able to reveal his kage bunshin ability as he wouldn't have a sufficient explanation as to how he'd learned it. Unlike Sasuke's sharingan, which could be concealed, kage bunshin was a lot more noticeable when used.

While he was sometimes rather dense, Naruto wasn't the complete idiot people often thought him to be. Sasuke would eventually want to know how Naruto graduated. If Naruto told him, Sasuke would likely follow him whether Naruto wanted him to or not. This wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that Sasuke still didn't know about the Kyuubi. It was something Naruto was coming to realize was a very, very large problem. After all, Kyuubi's power was involved in all the major events starting with Naruto's graduation. Haku, Gaara, Itachi, and even Jiraiya had something to do with the demon as well. It was becoming increasingly difficult to talk about these things with Sasuke while skirting certain…issues. If Sasuke came with Naruto, he'd no doubt find out about the Kyuubi at the same time Naruto had in his alternate life. Even Naruto could tell that this wasn't prudent.

What it boiled down to was that Naruto wasn't ready to reveal that bit of his past to Sasuke yet. In truth, he was scared. He was scared of losing his best friend. He wasn't sure how Sasuke would react to the news. Eventually he would tell Sasuke, but not this time. So Naruto had done the only thing he could think of. He focused on creating a temporary rift between them. Sasuke hated being ignored, and hopefully it would make him angry enough to drift away from Naruto until graduation was over. So far it wasn't going as he'd planned. Plainly put, Sasuke was a stubborn bastard. Even though he was upset, he simply wouldn't leave the subject alone. Apparently he was feeling indignant, instead of simply angry.

Like the last time when Iruka had called his name he'd gone to take his test. Unlike the last time he'd purposely made his clones _look_ faulty. This time he hadn't missed the calculating look that Mizuki had shot him as he'd left after failing the test. Sasuke approached him the minute he walked out of the room, lacking the headband that would have signified his passing. Noticing this, the Uchiha had grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out to an available space a bit apart from the celebrating families.

"Why? We both know you're capable!" he said sharply. His dark eyes were narrowed in confusion. "Why won't you tell me what you're up to? I thought you trusted me!" Sasuke hissed, voice rising. Noticing the looks they were attracting, he promptly modified his tone. This was something that Naruto hadn't expected. He didn't think Sasuke would be so _hurt_ by what he was doing. The look in his dark eyes nearly made the blond flinch.

"Sasuke…I can't…" he stammered pitifully.

"No, you won't! Tell me, damn it!" he demanded. It was then Naruto noticed Mizuki watching from the corner of his eye. If he didn't go off by himself soon, he'd lose his opportunity. He had to think of something, and quickly. Naruto panicked.

"You nearly killed me! How can I trust you with this?" Naruto spat back. Sasuke immediately stepped back, letting go of his arm. The color drained from his face. Naruto regretted the words immediately, but didn't know what else to do. "Sasuke, wait, I don't mean it," Naruto sputtered quickly, his face turning red. And it was true that he really hadn't meant it. Naruto trusted Sasuke completely, but it was all he could think of at the moment.

"No. No, you're right. Why should you trust me? I'm a traitor. Just like _him_," Sasuke whispered, self-loathing lacing the words. Naruto tried to speak, but before he could, Sasuke fled. Maybe in their alternate life the words wouldn't have hurt so badly. However, with his new situation and understanding, those words had hurt Sasuke more than either of them would have foreseen. They hurt because Sasuke felt they were true, and had learned to honestly regret his actions. The blond was left staring after him, with his mouth hanging open.

"It seems your friend has left. He's probably upset that you didn't pass," Mizuki said in a kind voice, approaching from the side. "It's too bad, since you have so much potential."

Naruto had to restrain himself from killing the rogue chuunin at that moment. Mizuki knew _nothing_. Even now he was amazed by the man's acting ability, and hated him for it. Last time he'd been so easily duped. He'd have to really work to restrain himself later when they fought. For now however, Naruto stuffed down the regret, anger, worry, and sorrow. Before facing the other his features rearranged themselves to portray a dejected look. Naruto knew he'd have to dig himself out of the pit he made with Sasuke, but he couldn't do it now. He just hoped that Sasuke wouldn't do anything stupid before he could straighten things out. Even more, he hoped that Sasuke would forgive him and wouldn't be permanently hurt by his hasty words.

* * *

So, here's chapter six. Sorry that took so long. I had almost the entire chapter written, and then I lost it. It was quite frustrating, and put me off of writing this story for awhile. In truth, I think I like this version better than my previous one. I hope you all enjoyed it! I really enjoyed writing this chapter in particular. The next chapter is in the works and will feature the confrontation between Mizuki, Iruka, and Naruto.

Thanks to:

**Raebef, Agent Spielplatz, aznpuffyhair, Piter-The-Last-Uzumaki, Blader Takao, Peacebunnie, MingShun, Carrot-Six, Stormraven, Byakuganchick, darkshaman817, Patty, Deathsyte01, Peter Kim, The-13th-To-Fall, Inu Hanyou, kawaiineziumi, Fic Slayr, aznkitsune, cfox, kataru, Flyer, Sakura Moon, kikyou-sama, Blind Kunoichi, Krylancelo, catz1789, ShisouTabris, Marysmary, Manga-lover123, reighost, Satern Mya, Tombadgerlock, HitoshirenzuKage, Kichi Hisaki, Gonrie, dyingstar-elipsis, blisblop, NekoAnime, kakashislave, permetaform, Einld, cheerful-pinkstar, delicheese, Sir Grag, deadwish, Dirbatua, meinien, Soiel, FairyQilan, ChaosRonin, Kai Hiei Sasuke Bankotsu Ray and Matt are so all mine, SatanStoleMyThrone, Herald-Mage Brianna, Fenrir, miz-hinatarox, woot, NarutoFanGirl4991, RaitenKitsune, scythe195, Kemious the kitsugriff, koyuki-hime, yellulhchicken, nina  
**

For reviewing. I appreciate all the support. With FFnet's new feature, I'll be able to respond to any signed reviews now!

**Dedicated to: **Menae and B-chan. The former because she's an excellent person to bounce ideas off of and such a great friend. The latter because she's such a cool person and deserves a birthday gift!


	7. Revelation

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Seven – Revelation**

Naruto, reviewing the section on the scroll of seals dedicated to kage bunshin, realized that life would have been much easier if he'd been taught how to read properly the first time he'd tried to learn from the scroll. The description made much more sense this time, even though he already knew how to perform it. Of course, already knowing how to use kage bunshin, he'd hoped to learn some of the other techniques. Things hadn't worked out that way.

Kage bunshin, being based on the original bunshin technique, was easy in comparison to the other techniques on the scroll. Naruto simply couldn't make heads or tails of the other jutsu. They were far too complicated. The only one he semi-understood was the seishin heiki no jutsu, which was right after kage bunshin on the scroll. He did his best to learn it, but even he wasn't going to attempt that one. Some of the warnings about it had quite a bit of morbid finality to them and he didn't really understand the technique anyway.

Resigned, Naruto resolved to try and learn the instructions as best he could, in hopes that he could learn the jutsu at a later date. Or perhaps he could wheedle and explanation out of Jiraiya later. Once he'd determined that he wouldn't be able to puzzle out the instructions from the scroll alone, he discarded it to begin training. He would have to be in a suitably frazzled state by the time Iruka arrived in order to convince the chuunin that he'd been working hard.

Between the time he'd stolen the scroll and now he'd come to a realization. Despite the fact that he was trying to make the event happen as it originally did, Naruto didn't think he'd be able to stand by and watch Iruka get hurt. After all, if something went wrong Iruka could die. He would have to improvise for part of the encounter and hope things turned out for the best. When his sensei found him he would have to play his part well indeed, or suspicion would be aroused. With a determined glint in his eyes, he got to work.

"Hey, Naruto!" Iruka growled, leaning over the blond. Naruto looked up from where he lay sprawled on the ground in the grass.

"Eh, Iruka-sensei! You found me! And I've only learned one justu!" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet. A laughing grin was spread across his face. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Iruka was struck by his worn down state. It looked like Naruto had been training for hours. "Hey! Hey! If I show you an awesome skill, you'll let me graduate right? I'll pass for sure then, right?" Naruto asked, energetic despite his worn state. Surprise struck Iruka as any traces of anger fled.

"Who told you that?" he inquired.

"Mizuki-sensei! He told me all about the scroll and this place! He…"

Iruka hardly noticed as Naruto trailed off. Horror filled him with the new information. Mizuki had used Naruto, led him on. He recalled the way Mizuki had acted oddly sympathetic during the exams to a boy he'd previously seemed to hate. Suddenly, Naruto bowled him over from the side. Iruka looked up in time to see a flurry of kunai fly past the spot where they'd stood. With a shock he noticed that one of them had buried itself deeply in the blond boy's arm. "Naruto, you…" he sputtered.

"It's impressive that you found him," Mizuki commented from his perch in a nearby tree. Iruka picked himself up off the ground and pushed Naruto behind him.

"I see…so that's what's going on…" Iruka declared, glaring at the other chuunin. Mizuki ignored him, turning his attention to Naruto instead.

"Naruto! Give me the scroll," he ordered.

"Ah! Hey! What's going on here?" Naruto asked anxiously. He stumbled a few steps away from Iruka, looking confused.

"Naruto, don't give him the scroll, even if you die!" Iruka countered. "It's a dangerous scroll, with forbidden techniques within it. Mizuki was using you in order to get it!" It was obvious he was distressed.

"Naruto, Iruka is afraid of you having it," Mizuki told him.

"What are you talking about, Mizuki?" Iruka protested. "Don't be fooled by him, Naruto!"

"I'll tell you the truth." Mizuki chuckled maliciously.

"No, don't!" Iruka looked desperate. Naruto, having been faced with this scene before was still having difficulty reigning in his emotion. He barely managed to keep the confused look on his face. He didn't interrupt, not trusting his voice.

"Twelve years ago, a rule was created in this village. It was a rule nobody was allowed to tell you about."

"About me? What…what is it?" Naruto managed to choke out. He could feel the fear and worry radiating of Iruka just as he could see and hear Mizuki's dark amusement. A slight shuffle was heard from the bushes several yards away.

"It seems we have an eavesdropper," Mizuki stated blandly. He sent one of the shuriken strapped to his back flying towards the spot. A person leapt from their cover, cleanly avoiding the attack. "Ah. So you came to find your little friend I see," he said to the newcomer.

"Shut up!" Sasuke snapped back, eyeing the chuunin warily. "What the hell is going on?" the question was directed more towards Naruto, though the two adults didn't realize it. Sasuke was surprised by the look on Naruto's face. His eyes were wild with fear and he appeared frozen on the spot.

"Well then, I think you deserve to know, being his 'best friend' and all. The law prevents people from revealing the truth to the younger generation, but I think you should be allowed to know, Sasuke," Mizuki declared. He smirked at them.

"Don't, Mizuki!" Iruka pleaded once more, eyes screwed shut. He couldn't bear to look at Naruto or Sasuke.

"I…If Iruka-sensei says…" Naruto stammered. "I mean…maybe I shouldn't…know?"

"Oh how cute! You trust your 'Iruka-sensei' that much, eh? Apparently you don't know that he and everyone else have been lying to you for years. You're telling me you don't want to know why a law was made concerning you? Don't you want to know why the villagers hate you? It's so simple really…"

Sasuke stood stock still, body tense. After taking off because of their confrontation, he'd had time to stew over what had happened. For an entire hour he'd been completely distraught. A nagging curiosity wouldn't leave him alone, however. He'd realized after calming down that Naruto's words and actions had been out of character. Even though he'd probably been insulted by Naruto more than anyone else, never before had the blond said anything that would truly hurt Sasuke. It was as though Naruto could sense where the line lay, and refused to cross it. He was simply too nice. Still feeling shaken by the all too true words the blond had voiced earlier, he'd set out to find Naruto to try and talk to him. On the way, he'd seen ninja frantically searching the village. One had stopped him, asking if he'd seen Naruto or knew where he was. Eventually, he'd spotted Iruka and figured it best to follow him.

Now he looked at Naruto in comprehension. It was obvious why Naruto had hid this from him. He didn't want Sasuke to know why the villagers hated him. It was a subject that Naruto had been absolutely close-mouthed about in the past. No amount of prying could have revealed this secret. Suddenly Sasuke felt a chill run through him. It was hard to believe that this secret was so awful that there was a law preventing it from being told. He knew he should do something but he couldn't make himself move. The need to know overpowered his better sense.

"Please, no! I don't want to know!" Naruto screamed. Mizuki opened his mouth to continue, ignoring him. Naruto launched himself desperately at the chuunin, but wasn't fast enough to stop the words from escaping.

"No one is allowed to talk about the fact that you are the Demon Fox. The Kyuubi! The one who destroyed the village twelve…" He was cut off abruptly as he was forced to dodge Naruto's wild punch. Naruto went flying past and landed on the ground in a crouch.

"I'm so sorry Naruto," Iruka said softly, remembering his own time spent alone as an orphan. The blond didn't hear him. His eyes were focused on Sasuke's face.

"That…that's not possible," Sasuke whispered, eyes wide. The devastated look on Iruka's face and Naruto's desperation told him otherwise. It was completely true. "Naruto…?" he turned to look at him, a question in his eyes. Naruto refused to meet his gaze. He bolted into the trees.

"He's going to use the scroll to get revenge on the village," Mizuki said. "You saw his eyes. They were the eyes of a demon!"

"Naruto's not like that!" Iruka replied, conviction in his voice. He glanced at Sasuke. The boy's face was clouded. He seemed to be desperately trying to reconcile the new information with his image of Naruto. Neither chuunin had any idea of the real depth the sudden revelation had for the Uchiha.

For the second time in twenty-four hours Sasuke's perceptions had been shattered. The first time it was concerning himself. Naruto's words had brought home fully exactly how like his brother he'd been when they'd fought at the Valley of the End. Now his perceptions concerning Naruto had been shattered. He found himself in an odd state, able to think numbly at the eye of a storm of emotion. The outside world blurred around him. So many things concerning Naruto made sense to him now. At the same time, he was more confused. Naruto was nothing like a demon except on the few occasions when he'd fought like a demon, one example being the fight at the Valley of the End.

"Naruto's not the demon fox! He's different."

Mizuki responded by launching a swift kick at the other chuunin, who tried to twist out of the way but was a fraction too slow. He was sent flying back into the wall of the wooden building behind him. Trying to stand, Iruka felt his ribs protest painfully. He seemed to have gone somewhat soft during his time as a teacher. He resolved that if he made it out alive, he'd devote a bit more time to training. He sent a worried glance at Sasuke once more. The boy seemed hardly aware of what was happening, completely dazed. Iruka shifted his gaze back to Mizuki. When he spoke again, it was from a fervent belief in his words. The words were directed towards Sasuke as well as Mizuki.

"Naruto is hard-working and dedicated, but he's clumsy and struggles so no one acknowledges him. He knows what it is to feel pain in his heart. Though the demon was sealed in him, he isn't the fox. He's Hidden Leaf Village's Uzumaki Naruto!" Iruka's voice was confident and a great deal of feeling poured out with the words. Somehow, the words managed to reach Sasuke.

"Sealed? It was sealed in him? Then…he's…" Sasuke muttered to himself. He stood silent for a long moment in time, unaware of the attention his words had drawn to him. Suddenly his eyes were sharp again, as though he fully accepted the facts and come to a conclusion. "He's…Uzumaki Naruto?" he half asked, eyes on Iruka. His teacher nodded back solemnly. "He's Uzumaki Naruto," Sasuke repeated, voice steady. "And my knowing this doesn't change the fact that he's the same person he's always been. He's Naruto… a loud mouthed idiot. He needs to explain some things, but…I won't let you do this," he spat at Mizuki. He realized suddenly that he'd just discovered the truth the same way Naruto had, the first time.

"You, a student just out of the academy? You think you can stop me, a chuunin?" Mizuki scoffed. "All I have to do is kill you, Iruka, and the demon brat and take the scroll. It won't be difficult." Sasuke scowled at him. All three glanced simultaneously at the rustling noise in the trees. There was a soft thump as Naruto jumped down from the dense foliage above.

"He doesn't have to fight, you bastard. _I'm_ going to kick your ass."

"Naruto!" Iruka exclaimed. "I thought…"

"I came back. I'm not going to run away. I vowed I wouldn't." Even with these words, Naruto steadfastly avoided looking at Sasuke. "Don't you dare touch them!"

"How do you plan on stopping me?"

"Like this," Naruto spat, hands clasped in a familiar seal. "Kage bunshin no jutsu!"

Dozens of clones popped into existence. Sasuke smirked slightly as Iruka and Mizuki's expressions betrayed their amazement. Mizuki didn't have time to think, however as the copies leapt on him, burying him beneath a pile of enraged Narutos. As Naruto beat Mizuki into unconsciousness Sasuke walked over to Iruka. Bending down, he helped the chuunin to his feet. Iruka smiled at his student gratefully.

"You, understand that you can't tell anyone, right?" Iruka asked softly so that Naruto wouldn't hear.

"Yes." The Uchiha's face was carefully blank.

"What will you do?"

"Talk." Sasuke appeared to have reverted to his usual stoicism.

Iruka sighed in resignation. Knowing his student as he did, he wouldn't be able to get a better answer from him. He would have no choice but to deal with whatever the consequences were. He couldn't not interfere in that conversation. It would have to be between Naruto and Sasuke. Still, he couldn't help but smile at Naruto, who now stood absent of his clones next to a subdued Mizuki. It seemed Naruto had earned his graduation after all.

* * *

Well, I hope that was okay? This scene was difficult due to the way that I had to twist it to suit my purposes. I hope it didn't sound too contrived. There was a ton of dialogue in this chapter! And yes, I watched the first episode while writing this. All the changes in dialogue that I took from the episode are deliberate. I hope nobody minds, but I had to make it fit this fanfiction better. Really, it was only rewording a few lines. Right, anyway. I meant to get this out by my birthday, but it turned out to take a week longer than I thought. Whoops.

Thanks to:

**Raebef, Fields of View, Rei Tamashii, Deathsyte01, Satern Mya, miz-hinatarox, TimeReaper, Peter Kim, loaned, El Lobo Loco, liemtenshi, aznpuffyhair, RaitenKitsune, deli, Soiel, wolvesm0on, Uchika na Kage, Fic Slayr, Honor, Kai19, Silence's Siren, ILLK, kikyou-sama, Byakuganchick, Anjera, Lee, HikaruNoJingoku, Cyberwolf, cheerful-pinkstar, Moonlight Youkai, koyuki-san, Sarehptar, Kazuko1, kcgal, Peacebunnie, ChaosRonin, toukun, insanechildfanfic, Naniwoiutennen, Kichi Hisaki, Parselmaster, hecate-19, koriaena, Calendar, Adyen, SatanStoleMyThrone, Cheryl, LuoLiBei, Bloodluvingirl, darknessflame89, monkey, CrystalBlue, Wraith, daniel-gudman, galerian57**

For reviewing. I really appreciate the support. Probably more than you guys will ever know.


	8. Resolution

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Eight – Resolution**

Mikoto stood before the kitchen sink. The pan in her hand was being scrubbed furiously, though it hadn't been dirty. As of that moment, her emotional state was just short of frantic. Perhaps some would find it odd that she was washing clean dishes in the early hours of the morning. She did it because she needed something to occupy herself and she'd always found something soothing about doing dishes. In truth, she'd been up the entire night.

Late the afternoon before Sasuke had come storming into the house. She had gone to the entrance, ready to congratulate him for she was sure that he'd passed his exam. Instead, she witnessed him stalk past, his new headband clenched in his fist. She was startled to see unshed tears in his eyes. That was unusual. Shortly after he'd turned six she couldn't seem to remember him ever even close to crying, barring his father's death. Sensing the dark cloud lingering around his room, she'd decided it was best to wait until he calmed some before speaking to him.

She found herself lingering in the entrance after he'd left, as though waiting for something. With a start Mikoto had realized that she was waiting for Naruto. It was then that she knew the blond boy had become a permanent fixture in her life. He usually visited the house six days out of seven. Actually, she had wanted to invite him to move in with them, but knew better. The rest of the clan would never allow him to live on the compound. Certainly they'd managed to remove Sasuke from his position as heir on the grounds that he was too young to assume the role. It was just a convenient excuse, seeing as they could have found a temporary replacement. She knew the real reason of course and she had a feeling that Sasuke did too. Itachi's shadow would forever hang over their heads. Furthermore, Fugaku was no longer there to represent or defend them. Sasuke was still a child and she herself had married into the clan.

Sasuke's mood and the distinct lack of Naruto indicated that something was very, very wrong. Briefly she wondered if Naruto had failed the exam. She had dismissed the possibility as soon as it made itself known. It hardly seemed likely. She knew first hand how poor Naruto was at studying, but she also knew more about his abilities than either boy realized. She'd seen them spar once in the yard. That day she'd gotten home early from her errands and they hadn't noticed her arrival. The skirmish she'd witnessed had been half-hearted at best. Their movements had contained the ease of practical experience however. From that glimpse of ability, she had seen great potential. There were other incidents as well, little things that offered insight to one who looked for it. And look for it she had. Mikoto wasn't entirely sure why they hid their ability, but she had a good guess. The villagers were not fond of them after all.

Now Sasuke was missing, several ninja had come to her door asking about Naruto, and she finally had an idea of what was going on. Apparently Naruto had stolen the scroll of seals. Having known Naruto for six years she knew that there had to be more to it than that. And Sasuke was probably neck deep in whatever trouble Naruto had found as well. The large meal she'd made to celebrate their graduation lay untouched on the table. She was torn. If they came back, she didn't want it to be to an empty house. At the same time she desperately wanted to join the search. She'd been a jounin before retiring in order to raise her children so she was just as qualified as any.

When she heard voices outside the house, she abruptly dropped the pan in the sink. Water and soap spuds dripped from her hands when she reached the door, as she'd forgotten to wipe them. She dried them nervously on her apron. A subdued Naruto and Sasuke entered, followed by an exhausted chuunin. She recognized him as Iruka, a teacher at the Academy. She stared for a moment, assessing the trio's condition. Naruto's jacket was slung over his shoulder and there was a bandage wrapped around his upper arm. Sasuke seemed to be unscathed. All three seemed to be physically spent and emotionally drained. She quickly ushered them in.

"You boys!" she sighed, tension flowing out of her. "You scared me." She bent forward and gathered them in her arms. They stiffened simultaneously. Sasuke relaxed quickly, but she could feel Naruto shaking. A soft sniffle reached her ears. Releasing them, she straightened.

"You're not hurt?" she inquired of them.

"Just me and Iruka-sensei," Naruto informed her, touching his bandaged arm, "but we've already seen a medic."

"I'm fine," Sasuke added.

"Good. You're both going to go wash up and then straight to bed." She absently brushed a strand of hair out of Sasuke's face. He scowled at her slightly, which privately amused her. "I'm glad your safe, but that doesn't me I'm not upset. We'll talk after you both get some sleep."

"Yes, ma'am," Naruto answered quickly. Sasuke nodded in agreement. With a gentle push, she sent them toward the washroom.

"Umino-sensei? Would you like a cup of tea?" she asked politely.

"I would appreciate that very much, Uchiha-san," he answered with true gratitude. Silently, he followed her into the kitchen, taking a seat when she gestured at the table.

"I apologize for the mess," she said clearing away the meal that had been left on the table. She quickly set to work making the promised tea.

"It's quite alright," Iruka answered. Quiet followed. Mikoto gave Iruka time to think, as it was obvious he was gathering his thoughts. Moments later, she poured two cups of tea, setting one before Iruka. She then took the seat opposite him at the table.

"I'd like to know what happened, if it's not too much trouble," Mikoto said finally. Her calm tone hid the concern in her voice, but it was quite obvious that nothing would equal 'too much trouble' in her eyes. She _would_ have an explanation.

"I thought you would, which is part of why I escorted them here. The other reason being that I wanted to make sure they were okay," Iruka explained, wrapping his hands around the warm teacup sitting before him.

"I see." She sipped her own tea patiently. "I heard that Naruto stole the scroll of seals."

"Yes. Mizuki, one of my co-workers, was a traitor. He tricked Naruto into believing he could graduate if he learned on the techniques on the scroll."

"What? Naruto _failed_?" she exclaimed, losing her cool for a second. "That can't be possible." She shook her head slowly.

"How so? Naruto is last in the class rankings. He's barely made it through the year. I thought you knew," Iruka told her, puzzled.

"Either the academy is much harder than it once was or something else is going on. But forget that for now. We can discuss it after you finish the story. Feel free to give me an abbreviated version."

"Of course. After finding out that Naruto had taken the scroll, I joined the search. I managed to find him, but Mizuki arrived shortly after. That was when I learned what Mizuki had done. It was during this confrontation that Sasuke was discovered hiding nearby. Naruto defeated Mizuki using kage bunshin, which he had learned from the scroll. Before he could though…well, there's no good way to say it." Iruka paused here, not certain how to continue. "Mizuki told them, Naruto and Sasuke, about the Kyuubi. They _know_."

Mikoto blinked, almost not understanding. "What? How did…how did they take it?"

"Naruto, I think he might have preferred not knowing. At the same time, now he understands the reason why he's disliked. He's strong though. I don't think this will pull him down," Iruka said firmly.

"You're right. It would be unlike him to let it get to him, but I'm going to watch him all the same. And what about Sasuke?"

"Honestly, I think Sasuke might have been more shocked than Naruto. He seemed to absorb it pretty well though. I don't think his view of Naruto has changed much. He also said that Naruto would have to explain some things and I'm not sure what that meant. I'll bet they're talking right now."

"Sasuke's not one to let something like that rest," Mikoto said. "He can be stubborn. He's a lot like his father." She sighed, closing her eyes briefly. "Thank you for telling me. Now about Naruto failing…"

"Yes, I would like to speak about that as well."

"Umino-sensei, I know very well that those boys keep things from me. Honestly, I can't really make them tell me. They're very good at concealing things, that much I've noticed," Mikoto informed him.

"Concealing things? Naruto? Forgive me, but that's surprising. Even when he pulls a prank, he can't keep quiet about it for long," Iruka said, disbelieving.

"I've seen some interesting things, and the rest you can call woman's intuition," she replied confidently. "I watched them spar once, though they didn't know. I must have been a spontaneous thing, because they never train near the household. Actually, I think they were fighting over food, but I digress. It was a simple battle, taijutsu only on account of the fact they were in the courtyard I think. I was impressed by the fluidity of their movements and the way they were completely at ease with themselves. The way they move when they think they're not being watched…it's a confidence I've seen only in accomplished ninjas. They've been hiding some of their abilities I think."

"I suppose you would know. After all, you were a ninja yourself. What I don't understand is why…wait…actually I think I do," Iruka said, his eyebrows rising.

"I thought it might be because of their standing in the village," Mikoto said. She stared into her cup thoughtfully.

"Perhaps, but I think Naruto wants to prove himself too much for that to be the reason. I was wondering if they knew how we split up genin teams," Iruka said carefully. Mikoto caught on quickly.

"It's not too difficult to find out. After all, almost everyone starts on a team. It would make sense for them to want to be on the same team. Sasuke would have to hold back to ensure he didn't graduate early."

"Yes. I think they may have done the only thing to ensure being placed on the same team." Iruka drained the rest of his tea. "But what bothers me is why Naruto would deliberately fail the exam. Maybe he just had difficulty with bunshin in particular."

"Speaking of the exam, I noticed that Naruto was wearing a forehead protector," Mikoto looked at the teacher curiously.

"I passed him on account of the fact that he successfully performed kage bunshin which he learned from the scroll," Iruka explained. "I think I'll still place them on the same team. Even if we're right, I think it would probably be good for Naruto to be around someone who understands and accepts him. Plus, I'd hate to disappoint them after they went to all the trouble," Iruka said with a sigh. "It actually makes my job easier that Naruto graduated, since now I can evenly split the graduates in groups of three."

"You really care about your students, don't you Umino-sensei?" she asked softly. He blinked at her, and then nodded.

"I do have a soft spot for Naruto though," he admitted. "Someone has to watch out for him. I'm grateful that you've been looking after him."

"As people who care about him, we need to stick together," she agreed. A sudden yawn split the man's face.

"Excuse me. It seems I've stayed too long," Iruka said sheepishly, rising to his feet.

"No, the fault lies with me for keep you so late. It's been a long day." Mikoto graced the teacher with a motherly smile. She rose and walked him to the entryway. "You must be tired. Thank you for staying so long in order to explain things."

"It was no problem. Thank you for the tea, Uchiha-san," Iruka replied. She watched him leave, grateful for her new ally.

* * *

"So, um…" Naruto mumbled as he finished arranging the spare futon on the floor of Sasuke's room. He never slept in the spare bedroom when he stayed. The knowledge of its former occupant made him uncomfortable. Sasuke watched Naruto fidget from where he sat on his bed, legs crossed. Inwardly he was grateful that Naruto was starting the conversation. Sasuke simply didn't know how to begin. "So now you know," Naruto blurted. He sat heavily on the ground.

"Yeah. But, what I want to know is, why?" Sasuke asked hesitantly.

"Why?" the blond echoed. Naruto's face was a mixture of puzzlement and dismay.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why does that law exist? And why…why you?" Sasuke clarified. Naruto looked away, not answering.

"Do you…do you hate me?" he asked warily, eyes fixed on the wall.

"Hate you? Do you hate me?" Sasuke inquired. "Don't answer that, you don't have it in you to hate people."

"Hey! I hate Orochimaru and Itachi and Kabuto and…and…" he trailed off, unable to think of more names. Sasuke smirked at him and Naruto abruptly realized that the other had been baiting him. He growled, but couldn't help it when the corners of his mouth quirked up. Sasuke felt relieved to see Naruto act himself again.

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing, dobe. What I mean is that I've given you enough reason to hate me. What reason have you given me? Other than being a loudmouthed idiot. But that's beside the point."

"Bastard. I'm not an idiot."

"…" Sasuke's eyebrows rose in disbelief.

"Shut up!"

"I didn't say anything." Sasuke smirked as Naruto huffed. Slowly, the silence became uncomfortable.

"But still, it doesn't bother you?" Naruto asked, going somber again.

"The only thing that bothers me is that you didn't tell me, though I think I understand why…" Sasuke muttered darkly.

"It's not that! I trust you!" Naruto was quick to assure him. Sasuke looked skeptical. "I'm not lying and I'm sorry for what I said. I shouldn't have, and it wasn't even true," he said quickly, almost rambling. "It's just that…" He shuffled, and Sasuke nearly missed the words he muttered next. "…I was scared."

That really threw him. Naruto said that he had been scared. It was an admittance Sasuke never thought to hear from him. He found himself believing it, despite the sheer absurdity of the situation. "Why…were you scared?"

"I don't know. I guess I thought you'd hate me. It…seems kind of stupid now," Naruto explained, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm just used to being hated."

There was something so very wrong about that statement that all words left Sasuke. He found himself thinking of his own mother, and how she'd been so cold towards Naruto in the beginning. For the first time since they'd landed in the past, he fully comprehended the fact that she was human. He'd held the memories of his parents on a pedestal for so long that he never really thought of them making mistakes. Even though she'd lived this time, he'd still subconsciously thought that one day she'd disappear. It was weird to think of his mother as an individual who made mistakes. At the same time, he found himself proud that she wasn't still like the rest of the villagers.

"Everyone you meet…everyone who cares about you…it's been an uphill battle for their acknowledgment. Even from our generation, we unthinkingly imitated the hate of others." His words were so soft that Naruto didn't catch them.

"What was that?" the blond asked. "I couldn't hear."

"I just realized why the law was made. So that you could grow up normally. It didn't work, did it?" Sasuke concluded.

"Like convincing the clan you're not your brother," Naruto joked. Sasuke didn't begrudge him for it. Naruto was the only one with the right to joke about such things. Actually, it helped prevent Sasuke from brooding on such subjects.

"Hmph." Sasuke's face was a mask of deliberate indifference. "Just when I thought you were being mature for once."

"I'm not twelve ya know! Well, maybe my body is but…damn it, you know what I mean!"

It was then that Naruto witnessed something that very few would ever see. A few chuckles escaped the Uchiha before he buried his face in the mattress. Naruto saw his body shaking as he howled. Even with Sasuke's face buried in the covers Naruto could hear his unbridled laugh. Sasuke had laughed before, it was true, but never had he lost so much control. It was so ridiculous that Naruto couldn't stop his own laughter when it started. He laughed at Sasuke and their situation and the utter absurdity of it all. He laughed until tears poured down his face.

"That had to be the weirdest thing I've ever done," Naruto choked why he finally began to calm.

"Weirder than going to the past?" Sasuke asked, lifting his face off of the covers.

"Definitely much weirder."

"More than being almost nineteen in a twelve year old body?"

"For sure." Naruto favored him with a wide grin, scratching the back of his head. They shared a mutual smile. It seemed to Naruto that things had worked out after all. "We're okay then?" he wondered aloud.

"Yeah," Sasuke agreed. "We are." He crawled under the covers of his bed, weariness weighing down on him. The sound of Naruto's loud yawn reached his ears.

"I guess we can talk about the rest later, 'cause I'm _tired_." Naruto truly had a talent for stating the obvious.

"Hn."

"Alright, alright, I get it! I'll shut up now." The blond shifted on the futon before finally relaxing. Sasuke was half asleep before a thought filtered through his fogged mind. He looked down at Naruto lying on the floor.

"That's not the weirdest thing you've done," Sasuke muttered sleepily.

"Huh?" Naruto grunted.

"Oiroke no jutsu."

"…You're such a jerk Sasuke."

"Idiot."

* * *

I will say that about two thirds of that chapter was pure inspiration and the other third planned. It was longer than usual and I finished it rather quickly. Within a WEEK! That's unusual, let me tell you. Seriously, don't expect the next update to come this fast. I'll do my best to finish writing it soon though. Speaking of, the next chapter brings the introduction of Team Seven! Yikes! Already this is becoming longer than anticipated. Why do all my projects get bigger and bigger as time passes? One more thing. I will repeat, for those who missed it, that **_THERE WILL BE NO MAIN PAIRINGS IN THIS STORY_**. Meaning the main characters will not be paired with anyone. Look for that in the sequel.

Thanks to:

**ILLK, aznpuffyhair, Rei Tamashii, kawaiineziumi, hecate-19, Aki no Yume1, ChaosRonin, koyuki-san, PsychicLunar, gabrielchaos, Endermon, Sir Grag, Satern Mya, cartoonwatcher31, RaitenKitsune, maleficus-lupus, dragonninvoid, genbo, VoidArts, loaned, miz-hinatarox, naruto93, Fic Slayr, Heather-Hezzer-and-Honaluki, LuoLiBei, Gohan is MINE not yours, Cute and Fluffy, Raebef, Logrus Mage, Novalight, NowOrNever, Soiel, forgottenone1, vash14, Lee, Pixie Smith Again, liemtenshi, Sarehptar, Parselmaster, cheerful-pinkstar, Cyberwing, reighost, TheSunshineGirls, RumiAngel, Cayasha, Peacebunnie, KokoroAngel, insanechildfanfic, dater, C.M Aeris Queen of Insanity, Rokane Ree, Xx-Naruto-Fangirl-Xx, Ami Angel, cfox, GundamWingFanatic90, TheTrueSilver, pingpan**

For reviewing. I appreciate all of the support.

Until next time!


	9. Team Seven

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Nine – Team Seven**

"You might as well sit down, Sakura-chan. I don't think our sensei's gonna show for a while," Naruto mumbled sleepily. He was showing his typical respect for authority by taking a nap, sprawled out on top of the teacher's desk. Sakura stopped pacing with a sigh. She glanced once more at the eraser lodged above the doorway before resigning herself.

"I don't know why you insist on pulling pranks, Naruto!" she scolded half-heartedly, claiming a seat near Sasuke. "Shouldn't we be trying to make a good impression on our sensei?"

"What kind of lazy, irresponsible sensei is an hour late to meet his team?" Naruto retorted.

Sasuke snorted, once again running his hands across his eyes. The answer to the questions was Hatake Kakashi of course. A yawn threatened to rise, but he suppressed it peevishly. Unfortunately, according to his memory, it would be another hour and a half before their sensei appeared. Then they'd have to run through the charade of pretending to know nothing about him. Having to repeatedly feign ignorance was becoming increasingly difficult. Being on a team was going to be especially trying. Even so he found himself looking forward to it, if only a little. His best memories from his previous life had actually been with Team Seven.

Frowning, he glanced at the girl sitting a few feet away. Honestly, he wasn't sure how to deal with Sakura these days. She was different than in their previous life. Drive was what she had seemed to lack before. She was more focused now. For him, personally, the most noticeable difference was that she didn't fawn over him. This caused him to wonder if he was the reason she hadn't realized her full potential as a ninja last time. Even though he appreciated the change, he wasn't sure how to behave. Before he'd found the most success in just ignoring her, but that wouldn't be appropriate now. Interacting with people simply wasn't his forte.

Though he didn't know it, Sakura was equally confused. Always she'd admired Sasuke. She'd even go so far as to think she had a crush, if she was being honest with herself. Naruto was, well, himself. He was loud and obnoxious but so unbelievably friendly that it was impossible to dislike him for long. She'd learned more about them in the past few weeks than she had in the past few years. And she knew she hadn't even scratched the surface yet. They seemed to know more about her and she'd rarely ever spoken to them! She hesitated to call them friends. Right now they were more like acquaintances who happened to be teammates. Soon, she hoped, they would be teammates who were also friends.

The silence continued to grow increasingly awkward, punctuated only by the occasional snore from Naruto. Sakura felt a sudden urge to demolish something. The feeling only increased as she watched second hand on the clock, ever spinning. She found herself wishing that Naruto had set up a prank a little more painful. When their teacher came, she wasn't entirely sure she'd be able to suppress her more homicidal tendencies.

"…dreams for the future, eh? …well…I have lots of hobbies…"

Naruto twitched imperceptibly. The gesture was echoed by his two teammates. Some things were still irritating no matter how many times one experienced them. As he gazed over the balcony at Konoha, he reminded himself one more time exactly _why_ they were continuing this charade. Suddenly he grinned at the irony. Despite his sensei's vague answer, he still knew more about Kakashi than the jounin could ever guess. He almost felt a Sasuke-esque smirk coming on.

"Now it's your turn," the jounin said, gesturing at Sasuke. "You first." Naruto glanced over at the Uchiha. That was certainly different from the last time.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I like training and dislike traitors." Naruto flinched at that. He knew that Sasuke still thought of himself as a traitor and didn't like the implications. "My dream…goal…is nobody's business."

"Interesting. Next," Kakashi said, looking at Sakura.

"Um, I'm Haruno Sakura. I guess I like reading and my friends. I don't like rumors. My dream is to…" she trailed off, uncertain. Glancing over at Sasuke, she found him looking at her impassively. Kakashi's expression was obscured by his mask. Then there was Naruto. The blond genin was grinning at her. His hands flicked into a gesture that filled her with sudden confidence. She smiled slightly at the thumbs up. "My dream is to be more than just average," she declared. Kakashi nodded, acknowledging the statement.

"Hey! Hey! Is it my turn now?" Naruto exclaimed, waving his hands in the air.

"Go ahead."

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I like cup ramen but I like Ichiraku ramen best! Oh, and I like Sakura-chan, and that bastard too I guess," here he paused in his ramble in order to gesture at Sasuke, who harrumphed and looked away. Sakura giggled, covering her mouth quickly when the Uchiha glared. "I dislike the three minutes it takes for cup ramen to cook! My dream is to be Hokage and make the entire village acknowledge my existence!"

Kakashi studied his new team with rising curiosity. They were an odd bunch, but the best ninja were often eccentric. A strange combination indeed, but the statistics said they were a perfectly balanced team. Now he just had to see if they could work together. He'd heard the two boys were friends, but would they be able to integrate the girl into the equation? For the first time in a long while he began to wonder if he'd found a team worthy of passing. They seemed rough around the edges, but the potential was there. He had a feeling about this one that couldn't be ignored.

"I guess you guys are all interesting. We'll start our missions tomorrow."

Barely able to contain his glee, he announced their survival training the next day. He repressed the urge to rub his hands together evilly. Instead he settled for a light maniacal chuckle. The dismayed look on their faces at the odds of their success made him grin beneath his mask. Pass or fail, tomorrow was going to be interesting.

* * *

The next day, as the team waited for their late sensei, Sakura became immensely grateful that she'd eaten breakfast after all. She'd been all prepared to skip breakfast the day before when her other two teammates had talked her out of the idea. They'd convinced her that she'd need her energy for whatever Kakashi had planned. Now their teacher was late and it was getting close to lunchtime. She wondered if this was going become a common occurrence, assuming they passed of course.

During the wait, Sasuke and Naruto had taken it upon themselves to spar. Naruto seemed to need to work off some excess energy and Sasuke wouldn't turn down the challenge. Watching them was a treat. She was ninja enough to recognize artistry when she saw it. They weren't moving particularly fast, but rather very deliberatly. Naruto's jerky style offset Sasuke's fluidity. At first, the battles she'd seen between them when they trained with her had made little sense to her. Some of their actions seemed pointless. She'd seen them charge each other only for one of them to veer off suddenly. Later she was able to realize that one had made a subtle mistake and chose to retreat knowing that they would otherwise loose the advantage. They knew each other's style so well that they often canceled each other out.

In the middle of one fight, Naruto had dropped at Sasuke from an overhead tree branch, kunai in hand. Sasuke's body shifted slightly, so subtly that she almost hadn't noticed it. At the last moment Naruto twisted, landing several feet away in a defensive position. Sakura had then voiced her confusion.

"He knew what I was going to do. If I'd followed through, he would have grabbed my arm and thrown me into a tree. I wouldn't recover in time and game over. There's no way I'm losing to him so easily," Naruto had said.

So now, as she watched them, she understood that every movement had a meaning though not always what it was. Often the pair could predict what was going to happen before it did but too late to prevent it. It was fascinating. They were interrupted by Kakashi's arrival. Both boys ground to a halt and turned to face him while Sakura leapt to her feet from her seat on the grass.

"Hey guys! Good morning," Their sensei said walking into the field. He raised a hand in greeting.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura and Naruto chorused.

"Ah, sorry. You see, a black cat crossed my path and…" Even as a jounin, he found the growls of his genin team rather intimidating. Especially since Sasuke had gone so far as to mutter 'pathetic' under his breath. Coughing nervously he made his way over to the three logs standing upright in the field. Naruto eyed them warily, remembering clearly his close encounter with them. Kakashi placed an alarm clock on the center one.

"Alright, it's set for noon," the jounin said for their benefit. "Your task for today is to take these two bells from me before then." He jingled them together, almost mockingly. "Those who cannot get a bell by noon get no lunch."

Naruto just couldn't resist getting a shot at his superior when the opportunity arose. "It's alright sensei! I ate a big breakfast. Not that I'm gonna fail!"

Kakashi seemed taken aback for a moment. He was surprised to see a superior smirk on Sasuke's face and Sakura nodding sheepishly. That was certainly new, a team that he _hadn't_ intimidated with his warnings. "Ah, well, good for you." It was alright because he'd get them with the next rule.

"But, wait a sec, why are there only two bells?" Sakura asked, as if on cue.

"So that one of you will be tied to the post while the rest of us eat," Kakashi informed them. He smiled cheerfully. "And that person fails," he added. "Back to the Academy with one of you. Of course, all three of you might fail, instead of just one." He jingled the bells again, this time with definite mockery. "You can even use weapons. You won't get a bell unless you come with killer intent."

"But, you'll be in danger sensei!" Sakura protested loudly. She looked over at Sasuke and Naruto for back up. However, they seemed to agree with the teacher. Kakashi deliberately ignored her.

"So, start when I say begin."

They stared at him blankly, waiting. The jounin suddenly realized that he was going to sound a bit stupid.

"…right…begin."

The three genin disappeared from view.

Kakashi was glad to see that they'd all concealed themselves well. Not a moment later, Naruto charged at him from behind. He sidestepped, grabbing the boy's wrist. In a single motion he sent Naruto flying across the field using the boy's own momentum. He was startled however to see the form burst into a cloud of smoke, obviously a result of kage bunshin. It was impressive that a deadlast genin such as Naruto knew the technique. It was then he became aware of movement in the bushes. Looking back to where the genin were hidden, he saw a small mob of Naruto bunshin emerge. Just beyond them he caught sight of Sasuke grabbing Sakura and taking off. By the time he'd disposed of the kage bunshin and the smoke had dispersed all three of the real genin had disappeared. It seemed he'd underestimated them. It was no real problem though, since he would be able to track them easily enough. They'd left an obvious trail. He decided to give his potential team a little time to see what they would do.

"Sakura, it's just me. Quit thrashing. You're leaving a trail," Sasuke snapped. He let go of her, but didn't stop moving. She caught the hint and followed after him quickly.

"I'm sorry. You just startled me." And I can walk on my own, she added to herself. He only shrugged. "What are we doing?" she asked.

"Meeting Naruto," he said curtly.

"Oh. But why? Even if we work together, one of us is going to fail," she protested. He sent her a hard look.

"Three man teams. Think about it."

So she did. And by the time Sasuke came to a halt in a clearing she'd found the answer. The entire bell thing was a charade. The whole point of the exercise was to see if the genin were capable of functioning as a team. The purpose of the two bells was simple – divide and conquer. Apart they'd never get the bells. Together they might be able to get them, but that wasn't even the point.

"Hey! Mission accomplished!" Naruto exclaimed, approaching them from the side. "To the drawing board!"

"We need a plan," Sasuke agreed, leaning casually against a tree.

"Won't Kakashi-sensei come after us?" Sakura wondered, glancing around the forest warily. "There's no way we've lost him."

"Nah, he'll probably entertain himself for awhile. Unless we take too long," the blond boy prompted with his usual impatience.

"Calm down, dobe," Sasuke ordered. Naruto sank to the ground with a huff and a rude gesture.

"Isn't fighting amongst ourselves a bit counterproductive?" Sakura wondered aloud. They stared at her. "What? It's true." She was beginning to wonder when they would blink. "Never mind. Does anyone have any ideas?"

* * *

So how was it? Once again I watched the episode while I wrote this. This chapter was a lot of fun. However, I think the next chapter might be even more. Right. If you're curious, Naruto and Sasuke's skill level at this point in time is about the same as when they fought at the Valley of the End. Minus the 'Kyuubi-boost' and the cursed seal. And yes, there is a reason why Naruto is not able to use Kyuubi, except for some of the more passive abilities (like his usual fast healing). They're more advanced than they should be, but they're not super powerful. And Naruto and Sasuke have a surprising weakness which also happens to be a strength. I even hinted at it in this chapter. Cyber brownies for whoever can figure it out!

Thanks to:

**Everyone who reviewed.**

I appreciate it, all of you. You've got no idea how much.


	10. Time Trial

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Ten – Time Trial**

Kakashi was rather impressed. The little brats were better than he'd anticipated. After finishing the current volume of Icha Icha Paradise, he'd begun to get bored. He was only aware of their general location. The jounin hadn't actually laid eyes on them and they hadn't attacked him. It was putting him on his guard. After a moment's contemplation he'd decided against hunting them down. It looked like he was going to have to take this a bit more seriously.

As such, it was better for him to stay put. In a situation such as this, he had a distinct advantage, besides the difference in skill. After all, in theory a team of three genin _could_ take down a jounin. No, the advantage lay in his position. As things stood, he held their objective. They would be forced to come to him to get the bells. This meant that he chose the battleground. Not only that, but it forced them to walk through the traps he set, rather than him falling into theirs.

They had to be aware that they had to come to him, and they also must be aware of the time they'd already used up. There could only be one conclusion. They were planning an all or nothing assault. There wasn't any time left for anything else. As it was they'd be cutting it close. That put him even more on his guard. Desperate enemies were the worst kind.

Still, they'd earned plenty of points by his reasoning. They'd been working together so far, or so it seemed. The question was whether or not they would be able to hold it together when they actually attacked. And there was no doubt that they would attack. When didn't really factor in, as they only had about fifteen minutes left. Rather, it was how. The time passed slowly, in his hyper aware state. Ten minutes left, and then only five. Where were they?

His alarm went off.

They hadn't shown. They simply hadn't come for the bells. Did they want to fail? With a sigh, he walked over to turn off the alarm. He supposed that he'd have to go collect them. Just as he was about to walk towards the trees he paused. Go to get them? Time was up, but he'd didn't hold much value in being on time anyway. They were making him come to them, completely disregarding the time limit.

Kakashi couldn't help it. He laughed aloud. What a team! Look beneath the underneath. That was one of the things he wanted to teach them. And certainly they had even without a lesson. A jounin who showed up so late, surely wouldn't place so much emphasis on time. To think that he'd almost walked right into their trap. And there was teamwork there too. He was certain now that they'd discovered the purpose of the bell test. If they could disregard the rule concerning the time limit, certainly they would have realized the pair of bells was a farce. Not that he didn't want to test their actually abilities as well.

It was then that he realized he'd been thinking of team seven as 'they', as a unit. Normally when he tested genin teams he ended up referring to them individually, even in his own mind. They had all acted separately and not as a group. It was interesting. Well, he'd just have to humor them. Certainly he wanted to see what they'd come up with. Grinning beneath his mask, he continued on his original path into the undergrowth.

Before he'd gotten five yards in he saw them, a multitude of traps. There were so many he wondered if they'd had to completely use all their equipment. It also caused him to doubt that he'd be able to spot all of them. Several traps were merely there to disguise more subtle ones. It was a clever, if predictable, trick. He carefully picked his way through the undergrowth, deliberately maintaining his air of nonchalance. He suspected that Naruto at the very least would be infuriated by it. Whistling cheerfully Kakashi continued on his quest to collect his errant team.

The moment he had reached the center of the mass of traps, chaos erupted all around him. Three Naruto clones appeared seemingly out of nowhere. The original was probably nearby. It took about a half second more to realize he hadn't avoided the network of traps at all. There had only been one trap all along and he'd walked right into it. He launched half a dozen kunai at the duplicates but only managed to dispel one. That one disappeared in a puff of smoke, but still managed to make a face at him before it was gone. He watched in veiled horror as the other two deliberately triggered one of the traps.

Kakashi's mind abruptly made the switch into high speed, a speed only achieved in life and death situations. Certainly he had more than enough skill to get out of this mess. That did not mean however that this attack was not potentially deadly. Despite the fact that he'd decided to take the three genin a bit more seriously, he now realized that he'd still sorely underestimated them.

Dodging the flurry of shuriken aimed in his general direction, he quickly sorted his options. The shuriken, as predicted, set off another trap which sent a decomposing log falling from treetops. The most obvious solution at the moment was kawarimi no jutsu. It was also a complete gamble in this specific situation. The fact that the forest was saturated with traps meant that if he reappeared somewhere else he might simply wind up in the middle of another trap. Normally he'd be able to decide the exact location he would end up in, but being forced to dodge as well as look out for the genin it would be impossible to achieve the necessary focus. Had he realized their intent in time he could have been ready. However it was no use getting upset over it now. And under everything he found himself inordinately pleased.

Perhaps their purpose was to tire him out? There was little chance of that. Dodging a kunai, he instinctively felt danger from his blind side. A telltale whoosh of air accompanied the feeling. He pivoted aside on one foot, to see a windmill shuriken fly past. That had definitely not been a trap. Windmill shuriken were tricky to control and were not the type of weapon one could use in a trap. Sasuke's handiwork, he was sure. He made a note of the direction the attack had come from. Lifting his feet higher than normal, he danced over the tripwires while avoided more deadly projectiles. Some of which, he was amused to note, were rocks. Apparently the genin had found themselves short of regular ammunition for their rather intricate mousetrap.

There were a few advantages to his current predicament. For one, the genin would not be able to attack him directly at the moment, seeing as they were extremely likely to get caught in their own traps. Perhaps one of them would be able to at a time, but there was no way they'd all assault him at once. Also, he suspected that they had rather few projectiles left, and thus would not be attacking him from afar. Naruto's kage bunshin would be a worry, however. He found himself wondering how many of the damn clones the blond could produce before he ran out of chakra.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught Sasuke charging him from the opposite direction the shuriken had been thrown from. It was his first clue that something about the attack was off. He braced himself, catching the wrist of his attacker and sending him flying to intercept of flurry of shuriken. Sure enough the boy disappeared with a pop and a cloud of smoke. After which came several more Sasuke clones as well as Sakura and Naruto clones. The assault from the traps had begun to slow as the attacks from the clones intensified. Not all were even kage bunshin. There were many regular bunshin in the mix and it was difficult to separate the real threats from the illusion. Now though, that the traps had mostly been triggered, it was easier to take his chance at kawarimi, which he did.

Somehow he half thought that they'd anticipated such a move. Sure enough, he hadn't been away from the main battlefield for more than fifteen seconds when a group of Naruto clones attacked him. Their attacks, while solid, were rather odd. There was a flaw buried in there. At the oddest times they react in a strange way that left them completely open to attack. He didn't hesitate to use this to his advantage. He found out shortly thereafter that the real Naruto was among this group. One of the clones he threw into a tree hadn't dissipated on contact. Rather, Naruto got to his feet, with a disappointed look on his face.

"Damn it sensei! We'll get you yet!" he yelled, gesturing wildly. Kakashi eyed him with amusement. It didn't escape his notice that Sasuke and Sakura had arrived then as well. He went out on a limb and assumed that these were the real things. Naruto hardly looked winded. Sparing a sideways glance at Sasuke revealed him to be in a similar state. Sakura, however, was breathing hard and looked worse for wear. It seemed she was having a difficult time keeping up with the boys, but that was not unexpected. Usually kunoichi had to work twice as hard to build up their stamina as their talents often lay in other areas, such as chakra control and stealth.

"You're a little late, don't you think? It's already past the time limit," Kakashi said, amusement lacing his voice. His once visible eyes curved up as he smiled under the mask. Sakura seemed to deflate a little, but seeing the confidence of the boys pulled herself together. "Well, I guess since you're so enthusiastic about the whole thing I could give you another chance. But if you don't get the bells this time, you're all going back to the academy."

Sasuke smirked at the statement while Naruto grinned and Sakura nodded grimly.

"And by the way, since you're so late, I'm only giving you two minutes. Begin," Kakshi added. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a watch and fiddled with a dial. It beeped cooperatively. He awaited the outburst.

"What the hell! That's not fair!" Naruto yelled, voice rising to a new level of volume.

"Who cares dobe! We just have to get the bells," Sasuke snapped. He, realizing they were already on the clock, launched himself at Kakashi. The jounin dodged the seemingly wild punch, stuffing the stopwatch back into his pocket. And then Naruto was there with a kick launched at his face. He bent back, avoiding the blow only to find Sasuke aiming a slide tackle toward his legs. Kakashi was forced to flip completely over, but managed to nail Naruto beneath the chin with one foot as he somersaulted backwards. The blond was sent flying up and away, only to be caught by Sakura. The girl barely managed to keep herself from being bowled over by digging her feet into the ground stubbornly. Displaying a surprising amount of strength, which the jounin would have to look into later, she reversed Naruto's momentum completely. This sent Naruto speeding back into the battle and Sakura spinning to the ground.

After that it was a whirl of flying fists and feet as Sasuke and Naruto pressed him. Whenever he'd knock one aside the other immediately filled the gap. The teamwork was flawless. At the same time, he was able to stay ahead of them. Both of them displayed that odd flaw that he'd noticed in Naruto earlier. And on top of everything he was still far more skilled than they. He threw Sasuke into a thorn bush off to the side and turned his attention to Naruto. The blond attempted to tackle him from behind. He side stepped the grab and was subsequently attacked by Sasuke who threw a surprisingly clumsy punch and stumbled past when he dodged.

To his surprise he was attacked by a second Sasuke who dropped down from a branch above, forcing him to step back in the direction the first Sasuke had stumbled. That was when a pair of orange clad arms and legs latched onto him from behind. Simultaneously, he heard a clink and glanced down to see the first Sasuke's hand close around the bells. Reflexively, his left leg snapped out in a kick, perhaps harder than necessary. His foot planted itself in the first Sasuke's midriff, completely knocking the wind from the genin and sending him skidding several feet away. The bells were dropped as a result, but in the process had been tugged free. They fell to the ground, softly chiming.

The jarring beep of the stopwatch echoed them.

With a poof, the first Sasuke was revealed to be Sakura. She promptly sat on the ground, trying to breath properly again. The rest of them, meanwhile, stared at the two bells in something like disbelief. Kakashi absently plucked Naruto from his back as the blond's grip had loosened. Finally, Sakura began breathing normally again. Kakashi reached into his pocket to stop the alarm. While he did so Naruto found his voice.

"So…um…was that a pass or a fail?"

* * *

I have just decided that writing action scenes is extremely difficult and should only be attempted after at least two cans of coke and a piece of homemade cheesecake. Really. That was the first in depth fight I've ever put to words, so I'd appreciate feedback. I just hope I'm not a total lost cause. On another note I doubt that was what anyone was expecting. Hope it was at least a little enjoyable.

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Sorry I wasn't able to respond to everyone, but I'll continue to try.**

'til next time.


	11. Zabuza

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around **

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Eleven – Zabuza**

Truly, when Tazuna had decided to use his remaining traveling funds to hire a ninja escort, he had not expected the trouble that came with it. He was a simple man and had never had real contact with a ninja community before. He had expected a rather ominous group of masked soldiers. What he got was a trio of obnoxious kids and a decidedly odd man. From what he gathered the three brats were students and the gray haired man was their teacher. It was a bit nerve wracking, considering that they treated this as some sort of field trip. Of course, they didn't know of the true danger either.

A loud, protesting exclamation caught his attention and he looked ahead of him at the three farther down the path. The blond, who appeared to have been the subject of some joke, was stomping off further ahead of the group. Meanwhile, the other boy seemed unmoved while the girl was giggling softly. They were perfectly carefree. The only thing that identified them as shinobi were the forehead protectors and the shuriken holsters. There was no way any of the three was older than thirteen.

"Don't worry, Tazuna-san. They may not look it, but they're all trained shinobi. In combat they far surpass the average person. In fact only highly trained soldiers, like other ninja, should pose a real threat," the jounin, Hatake he remembered, informed him. Tazuna wondered briefly if the man had read his mind. Shinobi were extremely secretive about their true abilities. "Besides, if by chance we encountered something they couldn't handle I would take over."

That statement hardly reassured him. In his eyes, the teacher was just as unsettling as his students. At least he was gradually becoming a bit more at ease with them. It wouldn't do to spend the entire trip on edge. He might unintentionally give something away. It would be problematic if the ninja discovered his deception. Tazuna once again studied the kids in front of him. They seemed oblivious to the conversation taking place behind them, absorbed as they were in their banter.

"They're just kids," he protested with a grunt.

Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly, as though that fact was irrelevant. "Aa. But you see, they are also shinobi."

Tazuna ignored the statement. Feeling slightly irritable, he curved away to avoid the puddle in the road as he picked up his pace. So, he missed the way Kakashi's visible eye slid over the water lazily before focusing on the back of the bridge builder's head.

Shortly after, when Kakashi found himself under attack, he wasn't unprepared. Using kawarimi no jutsu, he retreated to a vantage point in the foliage. He was just close enough to interfere if, or when, things went awry. At the moment he needed to discover the attack's true target. Examining his team, he was satisfied with their responses. Sasuke had immediately gone on the offensive. Sakura meanwhile had placed herself between Tazuna and the enemy. He decided to intervene when he saw Naruto, who had frozen, come under attack. The two enemy ninja, so focused on their assault, never saw what hit them. He glanced over to make sure Naruto hadn't been badly injured, only to see the boy dissolve into a cloud of smoke. A kage bunshin then. So Naruto hadn't frozen after all. Kakashi held back the words that had been on the tip of his tongue. He hadn't even noticed the switch occur.

Instead he turned his gaze to Tazuna who the real Naruto was now standing beside. The bridge builder, it seemed, was the target. It was as he thought. This kind of mission mislabeling was more common than Konoha liked. But before that he needed to address his team. "You all did very well," he assured the genin. Indeed, they hadn't really needed him at all. Impressive…and suspicious. He'd thought at least one would have faltered. Something lingered in the back of his mind, but his dismissed it for now. Any more team business could be handled later. Instead he turned once more to Tazuna.

"It appears there's something you haven't told us…"

* * *

The first time Naruto had stood before Zabuza he'd felt suffocated by the intense atmosphere. It had been his first encounter with a truly dangerous opponent. Now, for the second time Zabuza was the enemy before him. He was reminded once again exactly how strong an opponent the nuke-nin was. There was an immense pressure bearing down on him. It was as if an unseen enemy was slowly tightening their hands around his neck. He wasn't paralyzed with fear however. There was anxiety, nervousness, anticipation, and apprehension instead of true terror. Facing enemies like Gaara, Orochimaru, Itachi, and even Zabuza once before had tempered his original iron will. He would never again be a ninja capable of being swayed by the aura of his opponent.

Even so, he was surprised his team had survived this encounter before. With his new perspective he could better appreciate the type of opponent Zabuza was. The nuke-nin really was strong. And he and his teammates had bested him and Haku. Naruto could feel pride fill him, and sorrow as well. Zabuza and Haku had been the first people he'd ever seen die. It was something they'd prevent, if they could. In the end they hadn't really been enemies at all. In fact, Naruto knew that he and Haku could have been friends.

Before he could save them though, Zabuza had to be beaten. Naruto and Sasuke had examined, analyzed, and dissected this scenario again and again. In order to achieve the best possible results they had come to one conclusion. This first fight with Zabuza would have to play out exactly as it had the time previously. That was the only way they could ensure that the all important second encounter with the enemy would take place. Both his and Sasuke's memories of the confrontation had been a bit hazy, but they were becoming clearer the more they relived it.

"Right! Let's get wild!" Naruto exclaimed. That line was just too cool to pass up. He heard Sasuke snort in amusement. Naruto grinned. The odds were ten to one that his friend was smirking. In response to this declaration they were regaled once again by the story of Hidden Mist's Devil. It wasn't nearly as intimidating the second time, but the blond had resigned himself to looking suitably cowed.

The plan had all gone beautifully from there until Naruto had made one very telling mistake. After flying past Zabuza and transforming back into himself he'd thrown his kunai. This of course forced Zabuza to drop the jutsu imprisoning Kakashi in order to avoid the projectile. And that's when it happened. Naruto, forgetting himself for a moment, landed _on top of_ _the water. _Kakashi's surprise alerted Naruto to his mistake. Immediately he released the chakra at his feet and plunged into the water. It was too late though. For over a second he had stood atop the water and there was no way that Kakashi's sharingan could have missed it. In his sudden anxiety he failed to notice the windmill shuriken Zabuza had caught come flying toward him. Sasuke's frantic shouting spurred Naruto to action.

"Naruto! MOVE!"

The blond shinobi dove to the side, but it was too late and the water slowed him. He was unable to avoid the whirling blades completely. The shuriken sliced into his right side. With a startled cry he sank below the surface of the water.

"Sakura, guard Tazuna," Sasuke barked sharply.

The Uchiha didn't wait for her reply, but instead took off for Naruto at a speed slightly higher than he should have. Thankfully, Kakashi was occupied at the time. Zabuza only managed a single step toward the sinking shinobi before he was intercepted by Kakashi. The kick that hit Zabuza's midsection sent him skipping across the water's surface.

"That's _enough_," Kakashi snarled. "Sasuke, get Naruto!" he ordered. He looked over to see the Uchiha already at the water's edge. Trusting Sasuke to help Naruto, he focused on his opponent. His sharingan eye spun furiously. He was furious at himself and Zabuza equally. It was becoming apparent to the Konoha jounin that he'd begun to lose his edge after so many weeks of D-class missions. This never should have been allowed to happen. Fortunately he had a convenient target to take his frustration out on. Zabuza was in for a world of hurt.

Sasuke got waist deep in the water before diving under, swimming towards the place he'd last seen the Naruto. It was difficult to see in the translucent water. With no one there to see, he activated his sharingan allowing him to find Naruto's chakra. The other boy was thrashing, seemingly fighting with something. Upon getting close enough that he could actually see Naruto, instead of the outline of chakra, he saw that the blond was struggling with his jacket. Apparently the weight of the heavy garment along with his injury was pulling him down. Drawing a kunai, Sasuke cut the fabric free. After that Naruto seemed to move easier, but Sasuke grabbed him anyway and began swimming toward the surface. From the amount of time it was taking it seemed that they'd sunk quite far down. The lake weed dragged at his limbs, but Sasuke still had air to spare when they surfaced.

Pulling Naruto with him, Sasuke swam toward the closest dry land. Half dragging Naruto, he climbed up the shore. Sakura and Tazuna were a ways away and Zabuza and Kakashi were no where that he could see. Of course, the direction Sakura was staring informed him of the jounin's location. At the angle Sasuke was looking from Kakashi wasn't visible.

"Damn it! That was my favorite jacket! You bastard," Naruto whined, pain tightening his voice. Well, it's not like Sasuke had expected a 'thank you' or anything. Briefly he wondered if the blond was referring to him or Zabuza. Anyway, if Naruto had actually thanked him he would have started to worry. As it was, Naruto was breathing hard and seemed to be suffering from severe blood loss. "Ah…anyway, thanks I guess," Naruto mumbled between gasps.

Right. Nevermind that. Now Sasuke was worried. "Let me see that," he said, crouching before the other genin. He pushed Naruto's hands away from where they clutched his side tightly. A relieved sigh escaped his lips. Sasuke was no medic-nin but he was able to assess most injuries. The gash was long and bleeding profusely. Even so it was nothing fatal as long as they stopped the bleeding soon. He unwound the bandage from his shurikan holster and wrapped it tightly over the wound. "We need to go over by Sakura so we can clean and bandage that. All my medical supplies are in my backpack."

"Hah! It takes more than that to bring me down! You should know!" Naruto huffed, scolding Sasuke for his concern. "I'll be fine by tomorrow!" he boasted.

"You _would_ be. Dobe." Sasuke moved to kneel beside Naruto. He pulled the blond boy's left arm over his shoulder and helped him to his feet. Naruto for once decided to accept his assistance graciously instead of making a fuss.

"I was careless," he muttered softly as they shuffled back toward Sakura's location.

"We both were," Sasuke corrected. "I just stood there. I thought Kakashi would have stopped Zabuza. He was just a second too late."

"It's because I stood on the water for a second. I'm sure he saw it. I just wasn't thinking," Naruto explained. "Ah, we'll figure something out just as soon as we get back. I'm sure Kakashi's beaten Zabuza. Now we just have to wait." A grin spread across his face. Naruto refused to be kept down by something for long. His attitude was infectious. Sasuke found himself returning the expression with a half smile.

"Yeah," he agreed, pushing through the last bit of underbrush and onto the road. Sakura, standing several yards away, noticed them immediately. "Sakura, toss me my backpack," Sasuke called. Glancing over to Naruto, she hurried to do just that. As she did so, Naruto pealed off the fishnet shirt he normally wore under his jacket. Sakura's face paled slightly at the blood seeping from Naruto's side, but admirably did her best to ignore her discomfort. Not that she was scared of blood. She had simply never seen an injury as bad as that before. She knew she'd have to get used to that though. Surely she would see worse in future missions.

Sasuke seemed to have Naruto's injury well in hand, so Sakura turned back to where Kakashi had been fighting will Zabuza. Before the interference of the hunter-nin that is. Now Zabuza's body lay on the ground, two needles protruding from his neck. The hunter-nin spoke briefly to Kakashi before teleporting away. Their teacher turned back towards his team. He only made it a few steps before collapsing. Sakura reached him quickly.

"S'alright. I just used sharingan too long," she heard him mutter before he fell unconscious. With a sigh she glanced back and forth between the soaking Sasuke, the bleeding Naruto and the passed out jounin. What a mess.

* * *

I wrote three different versions of this chapter before I got one I was satisfied with. Sorry for skipping some stuff, but I'm just assuming that everyone knows what happens. I'm trying to keep the focus in this story on extremely important events or things that change drastically. It'd start to get boring otherwise. Anyway I don't know if anyone noticed, but I was experimenting with different point of views in this chapter. I hope it turned out alright. This chapter probably needs more revision than I gave it. I think I need a break before going back to it. So, I decided to post it as is for now.

Oh, and about the sinking in the lake…has anyone ever fallen into the middle of a lake fully clothed including a jacket and shoes? I have. It's a bitch. I would have sunk straight to the bottom without a life jacket. (My canoe was overturned.) And lake weed is horrible. It feels like something's grabbing you. My dad thought it was funny...after he figured out I wasn't going to drown.

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I appreciate your support!**


	12. Orange

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Twelve – Orange**

"It would seem that there's something I missed," Kakashi intoned solemnly. He narrowed his eye at the genin sitting before him. Despite the fact that he was saying it from a sitting position on a futon he was still suitably intimidating.

"Ah, what do you mean sensei?" Naruto inquired. Kakashi decided he must have practiced the line. It sounded a bit too forced. That, and Naruto's grin was just a bit too strained. Though Sasuke's face was blank, Kakashi didn't miss the slight twitch of one eye. So the two boys had conspired together. It figured. Whenever Naruto was neck deep in something Sasuke was usually a few steps behind. Sakura however seemed honestly confused. Kakashi decided to continue on for awhile. He was enjoying making the two boys sweat. It was suitable punishment for keeping things from their teammates, their sensei in particular.

"The fight with Zabuza. Something odd happened," the jounin informed them. He frowned ominously. Surely the genin were sweating now. It was all he could do to keep from chuckling evilly. He continued to eye them suspiciously. Naruto shifted slightly and didn't meet his eye. When he shifted his gaze to Sasuke he was matched glare for glare. The dark haired boy was obviously irritated at him for drawing this out.

"Kakashi-sensei? What are you talking about?" Sakura could feel the tension in the air. She glanced between her teammates, wondering if maybe it was some sort of guy thing. Her other teammates seemed to know what their sensei was talking about. It definitely felt like she was being left out. Inwardly she was starting to fume at the exclusion. She saw Naruto and Sasuke exchange a quick look. With bated breath, the team awaited their sensei's explanation.

"Oh, it's just that Zabuza is probably still alive. I know it's unfortunate, but there's really no reason to get so worked up…?"

He smiled at them benevolently. The three's reactions were the most amusing thing Kakashi had seen since Gai had challenged him to a drinking contest three years ago. Their reactions ranged from disbelief to anger to relief, though the boys tried to hide it. For Kakashi it was obvious. He'd been born with a naturally high perceptive ability, before he'd ever gotten sharingan. It was difficult containing his amusement. Sakura's expression was honest at least, but the other two were trying too hard to hide their relief.

"How can that be? We saw him die!" Sakura protested loudly. The jounin winced at the volume and pitch. Sometimes he wondered who would win in a screaming match: Sakura vs. Naruto. True Naruto was naturally gifted, but Sakura would probably hold her own. Perhaps they could channel that gift through a jutsu and shatter an enemy's eardrums. It was a thought to pursue later.

"The weapon that hunter-nin used to kill Zabuza struck me as odd. Senbon are an odd weapon of choice for one who wishes to kill their enemy since. They need to hit a critical point in order to kill an opponent. It's a good weapon to use when one doesn't wish to kill their opponent. Also, hunter-nin always dispose of the body at the place where they died," Kakashi explained. He waited for Sakura and the others to make the appropriate connections on their own.

"…but that hunter-nin, he took the body and left," Sakura murmured, thinking aloud. Kakashi knew she'd realized it when her eyes widened in shock. "No way!"

"Yes. The hunter-nin was probably Zabuza's ally," Kakashi concluded. The genin, even Sasuke frowned noticeably. Then Sasuke began to shake his head slowly.

"Perhaps," the Uchiha began softly, "there was something the hunter-nin wanted to conceal from us, ninja from another village. So he took the body away before disposing of it."

Kakashi considered the idea carefully. It was something he hadn't thought of. There had been special cases that he'd heard of where standard procedure was disregarded because of the presence of foreign ninja on the scene. It was an exceedingly rare occurrence, but not one to be discarded. Even so, the chances were still in favor of Zabuza's continued existence.

"That's true, but it is still probable that Zabuza is alive. Therefore we will need to prepare for another confrontation. Since I will need some time to recover, I'll be training you three instead. We should have some time, since Zabuza will also need time to heal." They seemed to take this announcement in stride. Sakura even offered a weak smile. "For today, take some time to rest. You'll need to be in top condition for tomorrow. Naruto, I'll assess your condition tomorrow as well. You may need to sit this one out." Seeing the blond forming a protest he added, "it won't do us any good if you injure yourself further. That is all."

The genin, recognizing the dismissal, rose as one. Just as they turned away, Kakashi spoke up once more.

"And Naruto, Sasuke, before I forget…you'll have some explaining to do tomorrow. It's not nice to hide things from your teammates…"

Their guilty stances said it all.

* * *

The next day, had Team Seven gathered in front of Tazuna's residence. Kakashi decided to let Naruto and Sasuke sweat it out a bit longer. Instead of addressing the topic of their guilt immediately, he gestured for Naruto to come forward.

"Yo, Naruto! Take off your shirt," he ordered. Said shirt was black with a simple spiral on it. Personally Kakashi thought it a great improvement from the orange jacket, which had suffered a premature demise. Naruto had bemoaned the loss for much of the previous evening.

"Perverted sensei," Naruto muttered under his breath. Even so he did as he was bid. When the shirt was off, Naruto pouted at it. He seemed once again to be mourning the loss of his favorite clothing.

"Naruto, I just need to check your injury," Kakashi sighed in exasperation. "Why do you wear orange so much anyway? It's not exactly…shinobi like?" As he said this, he crouched before Naruto while still managing to rest most of his weight on the crutches.

"It's orange! It's the coolest color ever!" Naruto protested vehemently. Sakura shook her head in disbelief. Kakashi refrained from pointing out that her bright red outfit wasn't much better. Sasuke meanwhile kept his opinions to himself, though he looked rather amused.

"Yes, well, it's not really good camouflage. Ninja rely on stealth first and foremost," Kakashi told him. He said so mostly to continue the conversation and distract Naruto from his examination. The boy was fidgeting badly. He probably didn't like people studying him anywhere near the area of his seal. That, and Kakashi was curious. He thought it might be because Naruto was something of an attention seeker, even if the blond wouldn't admit to that as the reason.

"Hey! A good ninja can learn to stay hidden no matter what he's wearing, right? So it's good training!" Naruto declared, not missing a beat. Well, there really wasn't anything Kakashi could say to that. He merely chuckled softly, and tuned him out to focus on the injury. Amazingly, it already looked days old. The power of Kyuubi was no doubt accelerating his healing by several factors. It was really incredible. Suddenly, something Naruto was saying penetrated his brain. He looked up to see Sakura staring at Naruto with her jaw dropped and Sasuke looking semi-horrified.

"What…did you just…say?" Kakashi asked, wanting to make sure he heard right.

"Weren't you listening Kakashi-sensei?"

No, he really hadn't been interested in hearing Naruto promote the greatness of the color 'orange'.

"I _said_ orange is like the anti-angst! It's the least depressing color there is! No one can stay upset in the face of orange! It's a _happy_ color. Not that you 'cool' people would get it. Doesn't it get you down, wearing those drab colors all the time?" Naruto ended his rant with a seemingly honest question.

"You're…kidding…" Kakashi couldn't help it. He guffawed. No wonder Sasuke looked so traumatized. Oh, it was the funniest thing he'd seen since the day before. He was ever so glad he'd taken this team. They were anything but boring.

"Ne, sensei, why would I be joking? It's true," Naruto was genuinely puzzled.

"Just…nevermind. I've finished looking at your injury, so you can put your shirt back on." Kakashi hurriedly changed the subject when he saw Sasuke go paler than usual. Also, Sakura seemed ready to choke. He wasn't sure it was from laughter or if the shock had caused her to swallow wrong. Personally Kakashi thought that the attitude was a good one, if a little weird and…Gai-like. Scratch that. He'd have to monitor Naruto closely to make sure his clothing remained mostly normal…even if it was orange.

"It seems that you're in good enough condition for the training I'm having you do today," Kakashi told him seriously. "However, pay close attention to the condition of the wound. If you feel an unusual amount of pain or if the would opens up again you are to quit immediately. Now, follow me and don't fall behind." Kakashi realized belatedly that there was little chance of them falling behind as he limped his way through the door on crutches. It took a full forty-five minutes to reach a suitable location at the pace he set. He surveyed the site with satisfaction. It was perfect. The trees were wide and tall and there was a wide stream lazily winding between the trees.

"Today's exercise is…Tree Climbing! Or…it would have been if I didn't suspect that two of you know how! Naruto, Sasuke, time to confess…" he commanded in a voice that discouraged arguments.

"My mother showed us. She said that we needed work on chakra control," Sasuke explained shortly. "We also learned water walking, but the dobe hasn't gotten it right yet."

Naruto glared at that extra bit, but didn't voice a disagreement. He couldn't stop himself from adding something though. "It's not like you've perfected it either you bastard. Don't act all high and mighty!"

"Ah. I suspected something of the sort." Kakashi nodded at them shortly. Their drive to improve was impressive. He was not really upset that they knew how. The source of his irritation came from another source. "What I want to know is why didn't you tell me? I'd even say you were hiding it! Teamwork can be hurt and the mission put in jeopardy when the members of a team don't know each other's capabilities. Genin teams in particular face danger of injury because of their lack of higher skills." He saw surprise and realization flicker across their features. Sakura meanwhile was observing the entire scene with a great deal of interest.

"Hey! We didn't…I mean, we just wanted…" Naruto sputtered. "We didn't want trouble," he finished rather lamely. It was obvious that he wilted under criticism from people he looked up to, even if he did pick himself up again quickly.

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?" he asked. Seeing Naruto's mouth close with his lips pressed tightly together he looked to Sasuke. It surprised him to the 'genius' obviously reluctant as well. "You know, as your sensei you guys are my first priority. If there's anything wrong you should tell me. We're a team after all. I'm on your side. Sakura too," he assured them. Sasuke and Naruto locked gazes for a moment. A silent conversation passed in the blink of an eyed. Sasuke inclined his head toward the blond slightly before looking back at the jounin and crossing his arms.

"Uchiha trouble and…certain villager's preconceptions," he said shifting his eyes quickly towards Naruto, his head tilted at an angle for Sakura to miss it.

"I…see," Kakashi murmured. That explained it all, didn't it? Sasuke faced inquiry from his own clan if he showed abilities above the ordinary. His position as an Uchiha was tenuous at best. And Naruto's situation was…even more obvious. What surprised Kakashi was that Sasuke knew about Naruto's unique position. He sent the boy an inquiring looked. Sasuke shrugged at him. So, the two had wanted to hide their abilities for awhile until they gained a higher rank and in conjunction a higher status in the village. It was actually a good idea, though they would have to learn to trust their entire team and not just each other. And as their sensei it was his duty to help them out. He didn't want to admit that he felt a great deal of sympathy for them.

"Um…preconceptions?" Sakura asked, giving in to her curiosity. Kakashi decided to give the pair of miscreants a break.

"Sasuke is in bad standing with his clan right now and many of the villagers dislike Naruto for several reasons," Kakashi informed her. She could formulate her own opinions from that.

"Oh, you mean from pulling pranks and being obnoxious," Sakura concluded. Kakashi murmured a vague agreement. Naruto sighed in disappointment but otherwise took the slight in stride. "So you guys don't want to draw any more attention to yourselves until you can prove them wrong." She looked proud of her analysis. Kakashi had always thought she was extremely quick.

"That's right. You're certainly a bright one," he added. She lit up at the compliment.

"I see." Suddenly, she bit her lip in uncertainty as though considering something. She began tugging on one of her pigtails. It was nervous habit she'd picked up shortly after acquiring the hairstyle. A moment later resolve filled her eyes. "I know it's a little stupid, but my family doesn't want me to be a kunoichi. They don't think I can do it. I know they want me to quit," she confessed. True it seemed a bit insignificant, but it was important to her. Besides, everyone else seemed to be revealing things about themselves, so why shouldn't she?

"Aw! Sakura-chan! You're an awesome ninja! You're gonna be one of the best kunoichi ever!" Naruto was quick to reassure her. Unbeknownst to her, Naruto and Sasuke were extremely surprised by the information. It was something they'd never known about her. Kakashi though, well, very little got by him. Even so, he hadn't guessed it beforehand. It shed a little light on Sakura's lack of skills outside of her analytical abilities. She was improving at a decent rate though, and Kakashi decided that he'd have to devote some extra time to coaching her in the future.

"Right, since we've settled that, I'll explain today's training. Sasuke and Naruto, you will use the stream to perfect your water walking abilities. Be aware, running water is more difficult than still water. Sakura, I'll be teaching you how to walk up trees using your chakra. Since I think you'll naturally have excellent chakra control, unlike these idiots…"

"Sensei!" Naruto scowled.

"Don't group me in with the idiot," Sasuke mumbled.

Kakashi ignored them both. "…you should be able to catch up in no time. In fact, if you may be able to start on water walking before the week is out." He turned a glare on the loitering boys. "What are you two waiting for? Get started!" They hurried over to the stream, Sasuke at a slightly more dignified pace. Seconds later Kakashi heard a satisfying splash. Sakura was giggling but snapped to attention when Kakashi addressed her once more. "Now, the theory behind this exercise is rather simple…"

* * *

Because orange is the anti-angst! Hell yeah! Short chapter. Isn't it always? Still, I doubt anyone has noticed that the average length of the chapters keeps getting longer. And on another note, this update was rather quick…for me anyway. Hopefully it's a new trend now that I've reached the main part of the story. Haku was supposed to appear in this chapter, but alas…it wasn't to be. He'll be in the next chapter though. I'm pretty positive. (I'm going to repeat, again, that there will be no pairings in this story but there will be in the sequel. For those who've missed the other notices. Maybe I should just put a note in the summary…?)

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I appreciate all the support immensely!

P.S. Any and all formatting stupidities (if there are any) are due to complications when uploading this chapter.


	13. The Deal

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Thirteen – The Deal  
**

Naruto shifted slightly as he made himself comfortable on the grass. Sunlight filtering through the trees fell across his face. With a long suffering sigh he repositioned himself until shadows fell across his eyes. He knew Sasuke was somewhere out there, watching. Naruto decided it was a good thing that he couldn't detect the other's presence. It meant there was a better chance that Haku wouldn't either. For now, Naruto had some time to kill. He was actually grateful for the current opportunity to sort out his thoughts. It was a little difficult deciding where to begin. He supposed he should get the easy stuff out of the way first.

Team Seven was different from how he remembered it being. Kakashi had remained relatively the same, though his opinion of his students seemed a bit higher. There was no way he _wouldn't_ sponsor them for the chuunin exam. He's even mentioned the exam was approaching before this mission, even though he hadn't said he was going to enter them. Last time Kakashi hadn't said anything beforehand. He was pretty sure their sensei was dropping hints. Naruto felt fortunate to have even temporarily duped Kakashi. In his 'previous life' he wouldn't have been able to pull anything over the jounin. It helped that people often saw what they wanted to, and that the truth was simply too unbelievable. Perceptive Kakashi was, omniscient he was not.

Of course Sakura was extremely different from before. For the life of him Naruto could not figure out what had caused the change. While she seemed to like Sasuke, she wasn't fawning over him. She also didn't berate Naruto as much when he asked for a date. Most importantly, she was probably more qualified to take the chuunin exam at this very moment than she had been when she'd actually taken it the first time.

Then there was Sasuke. He was definitely different from before. It was a combination of him being just a little more open and a little less angry Naruto decided. Before, Sasuke had been motivated by a great deal of anger. He was still driven, but a lot of the anger was gone. That had a lot to do with the way Sasuke's personal history had been rewritten. He still hated Itachi. Sasuke would definitely kill him if an opportunity arose, but it wasn't what he lived for anymore.

The biggest difference between him and Sasuke, Naruto thought, was their attitude towards their 'memories'. Sasuke's memories seemed slightly hazy compared to Naruto's. He wasn't sure what caused it, but sometimes the Uchiha treated his 'previous life' as a startlingly accurate nightmare of the future. Sasuke seemed aware that it had actually happened, but as time passed seemed to grow farther away from the feelings attached to the memories. Naruto on the other hand had a much clearer recollection. To him, the 'previous life' was just as real as this one. The reason was probably a combination of two things. One was the fact that his life hadn't changed quite as dramatically as Sasuke's. The other was the Kyuubi.

Naruto _knew _that Kyuubi had something to do with his current location in the past. He'd felt Kyuubi's presence overwhelm him completely in the last seconds at the Valley of the End. He felt the demon's desire to live. It had been desperate to survive which had caused it to do…something that sent them back. When the fox had sent him back, Sasuke had gotten caught up in it due to his close proximity at the time. Sasuke's memories probably weren't as clear because he was never intended to have traveled along through time in the first place.

One thing was clear. Whatever the demon did cost it dearly. The Kyuubi was dormant. Or maybe hibernating was a better word. When Naruto had traveled into his mind in order to confront the fox he'd discovered something disturbing. Certainly it was more upsetting than had the demon been his normal, evil self. An unmoving mountain of fur had been barely visible in the darkness beyond the cage's bars. In fact, he'd only been able to see it because of the faint red glow illuminating the cage. No matter how much he'd yelled and ranted the fox had remained completely unmoved. Even the ever-present killing intent was gone. It had been the same every time Naruto had tried to wake the demon since. He thought the demon would be at least little aware since the fox's chakra continued to accelerate his recovery rate, but that wasn't the case. He decided his healing factor was an automatic effect, caused by the extra chakra leaking through to him from Kyuubi.

Today he had planned to visit the fox again to see if it was awake. Maybe then he'd get some answers. Actually, it worked out perfectly. The only way to ensure that Haku approached him was if he was asleep. He didn't trust his ability to feign sleep well enough to fool someone like Haku. However, when he delved inside of his mind it should imitate the effects well enough.

Inhaling deeply, Naruto focused his will towards contacting the Kyuubi. Within a reasonable amount of time he was standing before the demon's cage. He immediately noticed something was different. The dim red light was pulsating softly. Naruto found the effect to be slightly nauseating. The glow seemed to fluctuate in time with the Kyuubi's breathing. Naruto didn't care to think about why the Kyuubi would need to breath when it technically didn't have its own body anymore. As he approached the bars, a deep rumble filled the air.

"Go away you cursed brat," the demon grumbled. The only physical sign it gave that it was awake was the single open eye glaring balefully at him.

"Not happening. I'm going to sit here and bug you until you answer my questions," Naruto snapped back at it. He kept a healthy distance from the cage though, on the off chance the demon gathered enough energy to strike at him through the bars. Fear of the Kyuubi was a healthy fear as long as he didn't let it overcome him. To his surprise the fox let out an exhausted sigh.

"I want nothing more than to kill you, but as it is I don't care to expend the energy it would take. Make this quick. I want to sleep," Kyuubi grumbled. It closed its eye, but Naruto knew it was still very aware.

"What the hell happened to you? I thought you were supposed to have unlimited chakra, oh mighty demon!" He braced himself for a roaring reply. Goading the demon usually worked best when he wanted straight answers. He was surprised once again with the fox's reply.

"Cut the theatrics brat. I'm not in the mood," it said in a tone of voice somewhere between exasperated and angry. "Do you have any idea how much chakra it takes to bend the fabric of reality the way I did? It would have killed a lesser demon! As it is…" Each of its tails rose from its body lazily – all seven of them.

"Oh! You've gotta be kidding!" Naruto choked, staring incredulously. He couldn't decide if it was funny or not. So much for the being the _Kyuubi_! Unfortunately said Kyuubi must have picked up on some of his thoughts.

"You retarded monkey! They'll regenerate, or have you learned nothing of my abilities? These aren't physical tails anyway, since I'm currently sharing your body." At this point it broke off to mumble a string of what Naruto assumed were insults. "It's a representation of my power. I used four tails to pull off that stunt. Do I have to explain _everything_?"

"I guess…that makes sense. But if you could go back in time, why didn't you just return to before you were sealed?" Naruto inquired curiously. "I know your reasons are in the spirit of self-interest so don't try to bull shit me into believing it was out of the goodness of your heart." There was a good deal of acid in Naruto's voice. It couldn't be helped. From the day he was born Kyuubi had been the bane of his existence. Similarly, he was the demon's living jail cell. The enmity between them would never really disappear.

"I would have expended all my energy gladly if I could do that. But I _can't_. This seal is soul deep. Breaking it prematurely would likely kill us both."

"In other words," Naruto mused, "_you _would have died. I won't believe for a moment that you would really care about _my _well being you damn fox. For all I know you would have been the only one to kick the bucket."

"Meh. Technicalities. The point is that we're both here. I don't care what else you want to ask. I want you gone. Now." A yawn penetrated the statement halfway between, causing a very sharp and deadly set of teeth to be displayed. That was alright. Naruto could feel something calling him back to reality.

"Damn fox," he muttered as he faded out of his mindscape.

"Pest…" he heard in reply, just before he disappeared completely.

A hand was shaking him insistently. Naruto came awake all at once. He sat up abruptly, startling the person hovering over him. This ninja was the first he'd ever seen die. It was also the person who had taught him about the true strength of a shinobi. Though Naruto was greatly affected by this ninja's death, it had not been in vain. The end result had caused Naruto to grow stronger. However, he didn't need this lesson a second time and he would do everything he could to prevent Haku's death. Everything hinged on the next few moments. In that time a great many things could happen. Worst case scenario: people died. Best case scenario: they gained a future advantage.

Haku stared at the blond boy incredulously. For a ninja he seemed rather oblivious to his surroundings. When he'd come across the Konoha ninja, he'd almost killed him as he lay there unaware. Something, maybe his intuition, had stopped him. It just didn't seem right to kill this boy here. There was something about him that caused an easy feeling of familiarity. It was similar to but not the same as the feeling he'd gotten the first time he'd seen Zabuza.

"You shouldn't sleep out here. You'll catch a cold," he cautioned the blond. The expression on the leaf ninja's face became vaguely amused.

"Nah. I don't get sick. No bug wants to take on _my _immune system," the boy said grinning. There seemed to be some private joke within the statement, but Haku didn't pry further. Instead he offered a polite smile that was entirely genuine. It was difficult to feel upset around this boy.

"Still, you should be more careful."

"But _you're_ not a bad guy, right? At least, I don't think so. And if I hadn't been out here, we wouldn't have met!" the bond argued, still smiling. Haku willed himself to calm down. The statement had set him on edge. Surely the bond ninja didn't suspect. Surely! Still, one didn't survive long as a missing-nin without developing an acute case of paranoia. Even though he stopped the muscles between his shoulders from twitching, his fingers still itched to make a grab for one of his many concealed senbon.

"I suppose you're right," Haku responded levelly.

"Hm, but what are you doing out here?"

"I'm gathering medicinal herbs. A friend of mine is hurt." Haku decided that was an honest enough answer. The blond seemed to contemplate that for a moment.

"This friend, they're a precious person to you?" he asked suddenly. Haku stared at him in bewilderment. How did he know? Once again he felt unsettled, but stamped down on it. If the blond knew about his connection with Zabuza he wouldn't be interacting with Haku like this. The question though struck home. He began to feel a kinship with this boy.

"Yes, very much so," he answered sincerely.

"Well then, can I help? They must be very special for you to go to so much effort," the leaf ninja said. The offer was touching. Haku accepted it graciously. He led the blond over to a patch of plants in companionable silence. After a short time had passed, Haku spoke up again.

"Do you…have a precious person?" Haku asked him. He truly wanted to know.

"Hm. Well…" the blond trailed off, looking away. He seemed to be considering something. Then his face brightened and he looked straight at Haku. "We're not enemies, right? So, does that mean we can be friends?" Once again his words sent Haku for a loop.

"Friends? I guess so. But don't you have precious people?"

"Well if you don't want to…that's okay. It's just that if I add you then I have six precious people!" the blond exclaimed. Haku blinked in surprise. Six people, eh? For Haku who had gone so long with only one, it seemed like a lot. That wasn't a bad thing though. Before he could say anything, the blond continued. "I didn't have any, once. But then, as time passed, I found more and more people who were important to me. Then something happened and I thought I'd lose one of these people. As it turned out, I lost everyone but the person I thought I'd lose. Still, I was given a second chance to regain those people. Now I even have one I didn't have before. I'd like to…someday be able to claim the entire village of Konoha as important to me. Then when I become Hokage I can protect all my important people. But until then I have to keep gaining my precious people one by one!"

Haku was speechless. This boy had a will of fire, there was no doubt. Haku could sense a deep sadness beneath the surface of that story, and also great hope. A feeling of respect grew in him. There was no way he could honestly call this boy his enemy anymore. Some barrier had broken between them. For Zabuza's sake he would fight the blond but…doing so would certainly kill something inside of him.

"I think that…I would like to be friends…" Haku admitted softly. He looked down at his hands, willing away the moisture gathering at the edge of his eyes. When his sight was clear again he raised his head once more. The blond flashed him a dazzling smile.

"Cool! Then we're friends! And since we're friends we should know each other's names! I'm Naruto."

For the first time in his life, someone other than Zabuza was looking straight at him. There was someone who wanted to know his name.

"Haku. My name is Haku."

"So Haku, you seem to know a lot of herbs. Do you do that acupuncture thingy too?" Naruto asked him. Haku blinked. What was that about?

"Yes, I do a little bit. Why do you ask?"

"Because of all those needles you're carrying around," came the answer, but not from Naruto. Haku was on his feet in an instant. He spun to find the boy's dark haired teammate approaching from behind. A senbon found its way into his hand immediately. Haku hadn't even heard the boy coming. He heard Naruto climb to his feet behind him. Haku shook his head in disbelief. He'd been had. He repositioned himself a few feet to the right in order to face both opponents at once.

"Hey! Calm down! Haku, this is my friend, Sasuke. You've seen him before, I think," Naruto said. There was a bit of nervousness in his voice now. "I guess that since he's my friend that kind of makes him your friend by default. Except not really…I think…maybe," Naruto trailed off in confusion. Haku was slightly stupefied by the attempted explanation.

"He means we don't want to fight you," Sasuke translated with a long suffering sigh. Naruto nodded eagerly in agreement.

"I meant what I said, about being friends," he said, honest emotion in his voice. Haku was beginning to think that it was some kind of power the blond had, being able to sway opponents with open sincerity. "Please don't be upset. Friends aren't enemies. So that means we're not opponents, we just have jobs in opposition of each other." This time Haku, instead of trying to puzzle out that contradictory statement, turned immediately to the other boy for a translation.

"We're not really enemies. We've just been put in a situation that pits us against each other by some sort of misfortune. We actually have a proposal for you, in order to avoid a confrontation that would be unpleasant for both sides," Sasuke said in answer to the unspoken question.

"Why isn't your teacher here?" Haku asked shrewdly. The absence of the jounin was conspicuous.

"He doesn't know about this. Besides, he's recovering from the fight, as we suspect Zabuza is. If we come to an agreement, it will be your job to convince Zabuza to go along with it. All we ask is that you listen to our offer. You may agree with our thinking that it's the most beneficial solution for all of us." Sasuke explained.

"I will listen, but I do not promise anything. I will do my best to protect Zabuza-san, even if I have to fight you," Haku intoned solemnly.

"We expected no less," Sasuke said. He sent a look towards Naruto who immediately reached into the equipment at his waist. Haku tensed, preparing for an attack. He was able to marginally relax when a folded envelope was produced.

"Here," Naruto said, tossing it to him. Haku caught it deftly. He used one hand opening it, keeping the other free to parry a sudden attack. The envelope opened to reveal…

"Money…?" he gasped incredulously. He saw they were observing his reaction carefully. Naruto smiled and shrugged before opening his mouth to explain.

"It's the result of saving up from a whole lot of lame D-class missions. It's not much, but it's about equivalent to a higher end C-class mission payment. Not much, but enough for a week's travel at least. The deal is this…"

The sun traveled a long way across the sky before the discussion ended. By nightfall, the clearing was empty of its former occupants. Two weeks after that the bridge was completed with minimal fuss.

When Zabuza had never reappeared, Kakashi had been forced to accept Sasuke's theory on why Zabuza _could_ actually be dead as truth. It must have been an actual hunter-nin that killed him instead of an ally in disguise. It was just as well, though something about the situation still struck the jounin as strange. Gatou it seemed had vanished into thin air shortly after sending his thugs to attack Tazuna and his family. Said thugs were easily dealt with by the Team Seven genin. Kakashi himself never had to lift a finger. Without Gatou his entire organization fell apart. Since Tazuna was no longer in danger, Kakashi deemed their mission a success. The time had come to take his team back to Konoha. To the jounin the timing was perfect. The chuunin exams were coming and he wanted to be there in time to enter his team.

* * *

So, is anyone surprised? Want to know what the proposition made to Haku was? And why did he accept it? You'll find out later, when the results plotting make an appearance. It'll all come together and make sense. It wouldn't do to ruin the surprise (or the suspense) right now. I'm half expecting flames for this, but I ask that you trust me and the large amount of work I've put into this part of the plot. The ending was _meant_ to be anticlimactic as it was in reality. See, the big anticipated rematch with Zabuza simply never happened. However in life stuff like this is a common occurrence.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I value your support. Hope I didn't upset you all with this twist! (Though I admit I like doing stuff like this. Plot twists are fun.)


	14. Eviction

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Fourteen – Eviction**

Mikoto found herself feeling grateful for the first time that Sasuke was not yet back from his team's mission. It meant that he didn't have to witness this scene. He'd probably have lost his temper. She pulled herself from her thoughts when the man came to the ends of his speech. It was good that he was too involved in his rambling to notice the glazed look in her eyes.

"…and since this is traditionally the residence of the head of the clan, we would appreciate it if you could relocate to a more suitable location," Uchiha Yashiro finished. He had been, she decided, much more pleasant as a child. Right now she could barely contain her anger. At the moment the most important thing was to maintain her composure. It had taken ten minutes of beating around the bush to drag the entire message out of him.

"Oh, you don't have to worry. I assure you, I'll be gone before the week is out," Mikoto replied, outwardly unaffected. It was infuriating, but there nothing could be done to stop this. Sasuke was now a Konoha shinobi and therefore an adult. The Uchiha clan could now officially disown him without a great deal of disapproval from outside powers. Of course, they wouldn't actually disown him since they wanted _some_ kind of control over him. They just didn't want him living on the clan grounds anymore. She married into the clan, so her only real link to them was through a dead husband, traitorous son, and Sasuke. Since Sasuke was legally an adult though, she wasn't considered his guardian anymore. The strongest of her ties with the clan had been cut. Their 'request' that she move from her current residence had not come with an offer of alternate housing. In other words, they assumed that she would find someplace else in to live off of the grounds. And Sasuke would definitely leave with her. The bastards were counting on it.

It had been a long time since she'd felt any sort of desire to fight. Her fingers twitched sporadically, searching empty air for weapons she no longer had concealed on her person. If Mikoto hadn't known that there was a run of insanity that manifested in the Uchiha line every few generations she would have thought her eldest son had gotten it from her. She bit the inside of her cheek until it bled. The pain brought her back to herself. A chillingly polite smile was offered to the man.

"As long as we understand each other," Yashiro finished. He didn't even offer a farewell as he rudely turned on his heel to leave, spooked by the sudden spike of bloodlust in the air. After long exposure to Mikoto as a mother and housekeeper those around her often forgot that she was formerly a shinobi of high caliber, raised in an era of warfare. Her lips whitened as they pressed together tightly.

"Oh, we understand each other perfectly," she whispered to his disappearing back.

Several hours later saw Mikoto standing in the Hokage's office. She was wearing her full jounin uniform, something she hadn't done in years. It still fit properly, as she hadn't allowed herself to fall out of shape completely. The Hokage eyed her carefully as she approached his desk. He obviously wanted to know her purpose in this hastily arranged meeting. However, he did not seem impatient or irritated as he and Mikoto had always been on friendly terms. Instead he was tired. The lines on his face were deep. So he did have a bit of a hunch as to what this was about after all. In that case it was no wonder he'd been watching her closely as she approached. When she was younger she'd had an infamous temper to those her knew her. Over the years she'd mellowed quite a bit, finding fewer things that incited her anger. Now her rage burned cold instead of hot, hidden behind a serene smile.

"Is there something you needed, Mikoto-san?" he inquired finally, deciding that she was waiting for him to begin.

"Hokage-sama, I wish to come out of retirement as a ninja of Konoha," Mikoto answered immediately, having anticipated his first question. Her posture was stiff and the tone of voice painfully formal. The Hokage privately applauded her control. He now had no doubts about the nature of the visit. Looking over to the pictures lining the walls, he focused on one in particular. Again he found himself wondering how things were be if his successor had managed to live. Perhaps the younger man would have been able to prevent the situation. He knew it must be a sign of his age that he looked more often to the past than the future these days. Resigned, he focused his gaze back on the woman standing rigidly before him.

"May I ask what has prompted this?" He tried to project calm through his voice when he asked. It was best to try and keep this formal.

"It has been brought to my attention that I am in need of new housing and with that a new source of income. As I'm now only looking after one son, and since that son is considered an adult, I have time to devote to active duty once again," she said. The Third thought her phrasing was rather political. That phrase summed it up quite nicely. He could guess exactly what the clan had told her in terms just as courteous. Sadly enough, situations like this had occurred before.

"I have no objections then. You may start taking missions immediately. I assume you would like to begin with something to ease you back into the routine. Perhaps as an examiner for the upcoming exams? Of course if your son participates you would be barred from being one, but new genin are rarely nominated."

"That would be appreciated, Hokage-sama. I'm grateful for your understanding." She even managed a small genuine smile to accompany her words. Supervising the chuunin exams was an easy, if delicate, assignment. It was easy because of the low probability of combat. The delicacy was due to the fact that many large, easily offended egos would be represented. Genin were easy to handle. They could be literally slapped down if they acted up. Nobility, more specifically foreign nobility, could not be slapped down in any form. It was a great compliment that he felt her capable of the assignment. Before her retirement she would not have been suited for such a task. Now though, she'd been mired in clan politics which produced some the biggest egos ever known to man. The Uchiha were a close second to the Hyuuga in that respect.

"You do know that if there was anything I could do…" he began, but stopped when her smile turned understanding.

"Even the Hokage is not above the law. He must pick his battles, particularly when there is a major clan involved," she stated softly. He was grateful for her easy acceptance and saddened by it too.

The light from the setting sun slanted in through the window. The shadows it cast across the old man's face caused Mikoto to realize, maybe fore the first time, exactly how old the Third was. He deserved rest, but as long as there was no suitable successor for the Hokage title he would not get it. The thought reminded her of a short blond boy. She had thought about Sasuke's reaction, but it hadn't occurred to her to wonder about Naruto's. She sometimes had a hard time predicting him. He would be, she decided, indignant on her and Sasuke's behalf. In fact, he might march down to the compound and scream profanely at the clan in general. Or he might decide to paint the walls, like he had some years ago. Both thoughts cheered her immensely. Not that she'd actually let him do it, but the realization the he would was heartwarming. Especially since he would be risking more ire from the villagers on their behalf.

"I truly am sorry. I…"

A knock on the door interrupted the Hokage. A soft sigh escaped him. "Yes? What is it?" The door cracked open and a chuunin poked his head through.

"Team Seven has returned from their mission, sir," he informed the Third.

"I see. Go ahead and send them in," he replied.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the chuunin said as he exited. A moment later Kakashi entered the room, his nose buried in the most recent of the Icha Icha series. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke filed in after him. Team Seven looked to be surprisingly rested and in good spirits. Naruto and Sasuke both displayed surprise at seeing Mikoto in the room, in uniform no less. Kakashi didn't reveal a reaction, if he had one. Seeing the status of the genin, Sarutobi made a split second decision.

"Ah, welcome back. I know you just returned, but would the four of you like a D-class mission? It starts tomorrow and it has the duration of one week," he explained, focusing on the three genin in particular. Kakashi went as far as to put away his book at the statement, observing the serious look on the Hokage's face.

"Naw! We wouldn't mind," Naruto answered after exchanging glances with Sasuke. Sakura looked as though she was about to speak, but stopped when Naruto shot her a meaningful look. Somehow Sasuke's mother was involved, and that meant this was important.

"Excellent. Then I would like you to assist Mikoto-san in moving to a new residence," he told them. The reactions were immediate, though Mikoto's was the most vocal.

"Hokage-sama! You don't have to…!" she started. He interrupted her gently.

"But I want to. Don't worry. I'll pay for this mission personally," he said with a wink. He shuffled the papers on his desk in an exaggerated fashion. She huffed softly, but still gave him a grateful smile. Moving was a monumental task to try and accomplish without help from other people. Then he turned to the genin who were awaiting an explanation with varying degrees of patience. "Why don't the three of you go with Mikoto-san so she can explain your mission? Kakashi will stay to give me your team's report," he told them. All present could tell it was an order, not a request.

Mikoto executed a swift bow in response. She would have an opportunity to thank Sarutobi later. After walking to the door, she held it open. It was an obvious request for the genin to proceed through it ahead of her. The genin responded in a reluctant manner, but did indeed exit first. She shut the door firmly behind them. Whatever the Hokage wanted to discuss with Kakashi so suddenly was obviously not meant for their ears. Besides that, she had some explaining to do. And she'd probably end up doing some pacifying as well. She hoped Sakura, who she only knew by through the boys' stories, was level-headed enough to help manage her unrulier teammates.

"Sorry about the fuss dears. A lot has happened since you've been gone," she explained to the group gently, hand still tight on the doorknob. Sasuke and Naruto marginally relaxed. They were more comfortable with her now that she wasn't acting the proper kunoichi. Still, it was impossible for them to ignore the uniform and she wouldn't be able to hide this anyway. Her teeth worried the inside of her cheek again. It was a bad habit she thought she'd done away with. It seemed that many unpleasant things were being unearthed from their resting places. "Why don't we go get something to eat? You can tell me about your mission. Then I can explain your new one," she said kindly.

Of the group, Sakura seemed the most disoriented. Mikoto offered the girl a smile she hoped was reassuring. Watching them carefully, she thought that Sasuke was perhaps the only one who saw through it. He was becoming sharper and sharper over the years. It was an Uchiha thing closely tied with sharingan. A feeling of oddness filled her, but it was dismissed. Her Sasuke had always been quick, and was just growing up. She knew for a certainty that his bloodline hadn't manifested.

Mikoto was proud of her son. He was a brilliant, bright presence. Even so, she worried for him, as a mother was entitled to do. Now she was more concerned than ever. Catching his eyes, she saw them flicker quickly to her hand on the door before settling once more on her face. Glancing down, she saw that her knuckles had whitened considerably. It was just like him to notice that. He was upset, she knew. Sasuke was the type to hold his thoughts inside though, and his face did not betray him. But she knew.

"Eh, can we get ramen? Please? I haven't had good ramen in weeks! We couldn't get in Wave Country and I ran out of the instant stuff I packed after only a few days!" Naruto ranted loudly. "Pretty please can we go to Ichiraku?" He was bouncing lightly with a grin on his face. Both hands came up to rest on the back of his head in a relaxed pose.

Mikoto wanted nothing more than to hug the blond right that moment. In a moment he'd dispelled the tense atmosphere and provided a distraction. Seeing her son's dark eyes rest briefly on the other boy informed her of what she wanted to know. Sasuke knew that Naruto's action was quite deliberate. Thus she now knew as well. Her Sasuke wasn't the only one growing up, it seemed.

"Of course we can, Naruto," she assured him. "After all, you guys just completed a big mission, right? I think you deserve a reward, don't you?"

At that moment, Mikoto would have gladly bought him all the ramen he could eat for the rest of his life.

* * *

That chapter gave me the hugest headache. I'm extremely satisfied with how it turned out, but still glad that it's done. It took thrice the effort a chapter normally does. I do hope everyone enjoyed it. If not, then my apologies. Anyway, we're inching steadily toward a finish. When I say inching it means that I don't know exactly how many chapters it will be, but I'm pretty sure it's beyond the halfway point. And then there's the sequel. There could possibly be a short story between the two as well. Or I'll just make it part of this one. I'm not sure yet. Until next time, cheers! 


	15. Overcast

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Fifteen – Overcast**

"Kakashi."

"Hokage-sama."

Sandaime rubbed the space between his eyes tiredly. Dealing with this jounin could be trying at times. He was the embodiment of all frustratingly impassive mannerisms most of the time. When he was not then there was something serious afoot. Now was one of those times. Kakashi had even put his book away. He glanced down at the written report Kakashi had given to him just moments ago. Glaring did not make it disappear like he wished it would.

"Your report troubles me." He rested his chin on his intertwined fingers.

"I feel as though I've missed something important," Kakashi said in a concerned tone. That blatant concern was apparent in his voice showed the extent of that concern. "I still maintain that Zabuza survived our encounter. I think it was likely he who disposed of Gatou. Most likely there was some dispute over their contract."

"He shouldn't pose a particular threat to the leaf. While it is unsettling, I do not see why your report expresses concern at his continued presence in the world. Furthermore, I don't see the connection you're inferring this has with your genin team." The Third's words caused Kakashi to shift a bit. It was difficult to tell, but the Hokage thought he was grimacing behind his mask.

"Honestly, Hokage-sama, I don't see it either. This mission has brought to light a great deal of questions. Zabuza is just the beginning of it. I think many answers lie closer to home. I'm starting to think my team is not what they seem. That's what really concerns me. Since this trip was an extended one away from the village I have had the opportunity to more closely observe my charges, Naruto and Sasuke in particular."

"I don't understand."

"Something has always struck me as odd about those two. I just couldn't pin it down. This mission offered many more clues, but it just made the situation more confusing." He hesitated for a moment. The Hokage inclined his head, a gesture for him to continue. "In the report I outlined the boys' actions during the encounter with Zabuza. With my sharingan activated I was able to see something I probably wouldn't have otherwise. Naruto stood for a moment on the water. Later, they told me Mikoto taught them. I believe they were lying. The fact they know how to walk on water doesn't bother me as it is a basic technique. I'm wondering why they would lie about who taught them. That is not the most disturbing thing I observed however."

"What was?" The Hokage himself often checked in on Naruto and Sasuke. They were two of Konoha's children he worried for most. To be honest he was unusually fond of Naruto in particular. Besides, someone had to look out for the boy. It was one of the reasons Kakashi was assigned to Team Seven. He was one person the Hokage was sure would look upon his students without prejudice. Kakashi was also blessed with astounding observational abilities. He would be one to notice if anything was amiss.

"Their actions during the fight…were scripted. If I hadn't had the sharingan activated I wouldn't have known. It was like they were acting out a play…up until Naruto stood on the water and was injured. Then their actions became natural." Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. He still didn't like thinking of how close Naruto had come to being seriously injured, even if the fox demon would keep him from dying so easily. "I didn't notice this until I replayed the battle in my mind later. It was a subtle thing, easily overlooked in the moment." Kakashi waited for the Hokage's response to his unusual observations.

"That…is disturbing indeed. I'd like to know if there's any other peculiarities you've notices…"

* * *

It had been a good idea to recruit Konohamaru and his friends in the end. Certainly they were rambunctious, and probably made more noise about doing work than actually getting anything done. Still, they could be brought to order by being reminded that this was a real mission. So, for the past week, the three kids had grudgingly helped out their 'boss'. Moving boxes wasn't particularly exciting, but it was a step up from classwork. The Hokage had excused them from the academy for the week after having expressed the desire to help Naruto and his team with their 'mission'. 

Naruto was almost at his wits end from all the 'ambushes' the group had set for him. At least none of the traps were particularly destructive after the three academy students had been verbally flayed by Mikoto for almost breaking a set of tableware that had been in her family since Konoha's founding. In the end though, the work went faster for their help. Most importantly it kept them where Naruto and Sasuke could keep an eye on them.

Neither boy wanted a premature run in with the Suna genin. In fact, they were going to avoid all foreign ninja entirely until the day of the exams. And they were walking on eggshells with the Uchiha clan. When they weren't with Mikoto or the rest of Team Seven they kept to unused training grounds.

Naruto wasn't sure what was going through Sasuke's mind. When his mother had informed them of the circumstances of their new mission, he'd completely clammed up. That was typically Sasuke. What was _not_ typically Sasuke was his complete lack of reaction otherwise. Naruto would have expected a great deal of anger and more than a little frustration. Sure he'd been more withdrawn, but even _Naruto_ couldn't read him. The signs the blond normally would have looked for weren't there.

On the last day of the week they'd finally been in the final stages of arranging furniture in the new apartment. Sasuke had disappeared just before the end of the day. It had taken Naruto some quick talking to convince Sakura that she really didn't need to go looking with for Sasuke with him.

Poor Sakura. Naruto felt bad about his female teammate's confusion. Mikoto had done her best to explain things to the girl, but Sakura had no true concept of the evils of the world. In this alternate timeline she hadn't seen Sasuke 'die' and hadn't been in a life and death situation quite as serious as the second battle in Wave Country had been originally. Naruto wasn't sure the original timeline's Sakura would have understood either. She had never been subject to the brunt of true horror. Sakura had her share of trials of course. Everybody does. Even so, she hadn't lived with fear, hatred, and anger as constant companions. Sakura, in one timeline or the next could never have turned out like Gaara or Itachi. Naruto could have. Sasuke almost had.

Someday she would understand. It was the fate of all shinobi. For now though, she was still too innocent. Until she witnessed a true horror, one to change her very person, Sakura wouldn't really be able to comprehend the danger Sasuke was in right now. It wasn't danger from the Uchiha clan, or Itachi, or even Orochimaru. It was the demon within Sasuke that was the problem. Everyone had them. In Naruto's case it was just more literal than in most.

So, Naruto left on his own to find Sasuke as Sakura helped Mikoto arrange the kitchen. He found Sasuke sitting with his legs crossed on a wide tree branch in training area four. Coincidently, that particular spot provided a fantastic view of the Uchiha compound. Sasuke acknowledged his arrival with a brief glance. Naruto decided to take that as an invitation. He sprawled gracelessly on a branch slightly to one side where the foliage blocked his view of the compound.

"So…"

"So what?" Sasuke muttered. Naruto ventured to guess that he was scowling. If he was, it would be an improvement over the blank countenance he'd displayed the past week.

"So when do you think sensei will tell us about the chuunin exams?" Naruto absently pulled a kunai from his pouch, twirling it around one finger. It was a nervous kind of action.

"You shouldn't try to be subtle, Naruto. It doesn't suit you." Sasuke's legs flipped out from underneath him to dangle in the air. His shoulders slouched forward. Naruto watched him carefully but didn't reply. The distant sounds of someone sparring a ways off could be heard. When Sasuke spoke again, his voice was quieter and Naruto was forced to focus to pick out the individual words.

"A small part of me can't be angry with them. That part will always hold my clan as more important than anything else, I think." Sasuke's face was turned toward the compound, away from Naruto. The blond had a hunch his eyes were on his former house though. This conversation was going in a direction that confirmed a few of Naruto's suspicions. Sasuke's two personalities – before the time travel and after – were at odds with each other. They were not completely blended the way Naruto's was. And, he thought, as time passed they unraveled further. Naruto wondered if someday Sasuke would forget his previous life altogether. The thought hurt, that Sasuke would forget everything that happened. He kept his concern to himself though. It was probably an unfounded fear anyway.

"And the other part?" Naruto's voice was even quieter than Sasuke's had been. He wasn't even sure the other heard him speak. Either way, Sasuke continued speaking after another long moment.

"The other part." He interrupted himself with a chilled laugh that Naruto had not heard in years. It was eerie. A wave of déjà vu swept over him. Sasuke, of course, could not see the blue eyes focused on the back of his head and continued to speak once his laughter died away. "The other part has a bit more understanding for my brother. Even after all these years I brushed the arrogance and the condescension aside, feeling that it was okay as long as they were alive. Surely it was better this way. It was understandable, that they would hate me. But my mother, she's never done anything. I never realized."

Naruto truly didn't know what to say as Sasuke began his tirade. What could he say? In truth, he couldn't contradict what he was hearing. Slowly, Sasuke's voice rose in volume.

"I don't know how I couldn't see it before. They're so caught up in their own power. They believe they're invincible in their legend. The Uchiha clan is weak. I couldn't comprehend his reasons before. I hate him. What he did was unforgivable. But, I understand him just a little more. And because of that I think I hate my clan. Even if it's just a little, I hate them. It's not fair! It wasn't supposed to be like this. They didn't disserve to die, right?"

Sasuke was nearly shouting now. The words were choked. If he'd been repressing his feelings before, they were all coming out now. Naruto felt all that confusion, anger, and despair echo within himself. In fact, the very situation touched on something that terrified Naruto more than anything else.

"I…think…" the rest of the words died before they were born. The answers just weren't so simple. Naruto took a deep breath and tried again. "You…remember Gaara?" Naruto asked. Sasuke grunted. Well, Naruto supposed it had been a rather stupid question. Gaara was unforgettable. And he featured hugely into their future plans.

"Who Gaara was…still is in this time…is who I could have been. I didn't know it then, but growing up the possibility was there. I hated those who hated me. I was scared of them too. If things happened differently, then I would have been eaten alive by darkness and anger. I…still could be." It was a hard thing for Naruto to admit. If enough of his precious people were hurt or killed he could be pushed over the edge. They were a guard for his sanity. He swallowed hard. The kunai stopped twirling. He clenched it tightly in his fist.

"You know though, they're not bad people," He said slowly. "But, they're not always good either. They're just people. Still I think that maybe Konoha's people are better than most. We belong in Konoha the same as them. Someday, maybe, the shared desire to protect this place we call home will become acceptance." Naruto wasn't sure if he was talking about the villagers in general or the Uchiha in particular. The message worked either way.

It wasn't the most inspiring of speeches. Sasuke thought it was more than a bit confusing. Something about it though, struck him as true. His feelings on the matter of his clan weren't resolved yet. With time though, they could be. He could learn to be at peace. It had to begin somewhere. That didn't mean he wasn't angry and confused. He realized with a bit of a start that he was hurt too. Probably he was more hurt than anything else. He was allowed to feel. Just not to let those emotions consume him. His mind was a mess of scrambled thoughts. Sasuke wasn't thinking clearly and he hated it. He liked having control over his thoughts. He needed time to sort these things Naruto had thrown at him.

"I need to think, to be alone for awhile," Sasuke said curtly. It was an obvious dismissal. If Naruto was any less familiar with Sasuke's brooding tendencies he would have been a lot more hurt than he was. He offered a quiet agreement instead of the loud rant he once would have. The blond stared at the other's back for a long moment.

Eventually he sensed Sasuke's patience begin to wane. With a frown he launched himself off the branch to the ground. He walked the dusty path out of the training ground. Hands shoved in his pockets, Naruto glanced up at the overcast sky and then back to the ground. There was far too much tension gathering. The rain needed to fall, and soon.

**ENDCHAPTERFIFTEEN**

There you have it, another slightly transitional chapter. And the chuunin exam is right around the corner. And just so everyone knows I'll be participating in nanowrimo this year, so don't expect an update in November, though I wouldn't count the possibility out completely. And yes, I know the chapter is short, just as most of my chapters are. I'm just happy I managed to finish it. And yes, there are probably mistakes abound in this chapter, unfortunately. However, my mind is too fragged to find them at the moment. I'll see about fixing them later.

Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed.


	16. The Exam

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Sixteen – The Exam  
**

Sakura glanced back and forth between her teammates, feeling more than a little nervous. They seemed to exude confidence, which made her feel a little better, but she couldn't help but wonder if it was unfounded. When their sensei had nominated their team for the chuunin exams it had completely blindsided her. Sasuke and Naruto hadn't seemed surprised in the slightest. If she were more paranoid she'd have thought they'd all known about it and deliberately left her out. As for the exams themselves, well, she was still reeling over the fact that they were considered qualified. They were barely genin. From what she'd heard most didn't take the exam for years and it was usually even longer before they were promoted.

There were some real characters present it seemed. The one her team was currently interacting it was certainly strange. Apparently he was one of the Konoha genin from the previous year's graduating class. Still, she thought she would have remembered someone as strange as Rock Lee. He seemed kind of harmless, but she couldn't help but think he was weird. One couldn't help how they were born, so she could dismiss the eyebrows but why, oh why was he wearing that hideous, green monstrosity? And she wasn't going to get started on the haircut.

Okay, so she hadn't quite managed to leave all of her shallowness behind, but she was working on it. She didn't really spend time on her appearance anymore, other than personal hygiene of course. Between missions and training – both on her own and with her teammates – she just didn't have the _time_. Still, it was hard not to cringe when someone appeared who seemed to take pains in making their appearance _worse_. There must have been a good reason though. There had to have been. Maybe it was a training method?

Realizing that she'd already missed part of the conversation, she snapped back to attention, chastising herself for her inner monologue.

"Fighting with you now is a waste of time and energy. There's none of either to waste," Sasuke was saying to the one called Rock Lee. He had his arms crossed in a typically arrogant pose. Sakura found herself wincing. Everything from the tone of his voice to his stance was completely dismissive. Even Naruto's eyebrows were high on his forehead at the Uchiha's attitude. Nobody really deserved that, but Sasuke had a point.

"Ah, Lee-san, we'll be late for the exam if we don't hurry. We don't want to be disqualified for tardiness of all things," Sakura said quickly, trying to offer a possibly explanation for Sasuke's lack of tact. At hearing that Lee seemed to perk up, prepared to take things in good humor.

"That's right," Naruto said with a huge grin. He clapped Lee on the shoulder enthusiastically. Sakura caught the gratitude in his blue eyes. She slightly tipped her head in acknowledgement.

"Indeed, you are right of course. We must be ready to give our very best effort!" Lee said, pumping his fist into the air with enthusiasm. Sasuke harrumphed impatiently, but didn't contradict him. He spun on his heel and continued toward the exam room at a clipped pace. The others, including Lee, took their cue to follow after him.

Naruto slowed a bit, falling behind. He sighed as he watched Lee talking animatedly to Sakura, who was giggling nervously. Sasuke stalked just ahead of them. Shaking his head, he wondered how to take what had just occurred. Honestly he was surprised that Lee had still challenged his teammate. In this time Sasuke didn't have the same genius reputation he'd had before. Then again, he was still the 'number one rookie' of their year. They hadn't planned for the confrontation as both of them had actually forgotten about it in the face of larger issues like Orochimaru.

When Lee had spoken to them and eventually challenged Sasuke he'd received an even greater surprise. Sasuke had completely dismissed him. Of course, the manner in which he'd done so left much to be desired, but he'd let the challenge go all the same. Naruto was glad for that. He didn't need to convince anyone of his skills. Sasuke knew what Sasuke was capable off. It was something Naruto had learned the difficult way as well. With the vital need for secrecy, he had slowly begun to stamp down that instinct to prove himself at the cost of other objectives. Well, someday he would prove what a great Hokage he could be to the whole village, but they'd have to still be alive for him to do it. Come to think of it he'd have to be alive too.

After entering the exam room, Lee split off to join his team. Naruto shot him a parting grin, which Lee returned. Lee was a good guy and really deserved respect. He was glad that Sakura had intervened when Sasuke had cut the guy down. Not that Naruto really blamed Sasuke. The boy was still stewing over the current situation with his clan. Even if he had improved during the last couple of days, he still seemed to have a tendency to make scathing remarks at people who weren't regarded as close to him.

As the other two members of his team moved further into the room, Naruto lingered in the doorway. As he surveyed the gathered participants he was assaulted by memories. With a growl he stuffed them down. Apparently it was more audible than he intended since both Sasuke and Sakura turned to look at him in surprise. At a temporary loss for words, he laughed nervously.

"Ah, I just remembered that, eh, Iruka never followed up on his promise to treat me to ramen for, er, getting into the chuunin exam!" he said hastily, waving his hands frantically. Sasuke quirked an eyebrow while Sakura rolled her eyes. In perfect synchronization they shook their heads at him and moved to join the other Konoha rookies, or the rookie nine as Naruto remembered their group being referred to as. "Hey! Hey wait up!" he protested, shuffling after them.

Upon reaching the others Ino immediately latched onto Sakura, pulling her into a hushed conversation slightly apart from the others. Shikamaru shrugged at them and mouthed 'girls' as though that explained everything. Normally Naruto would have been more interested with what was being said but he was preoccupied with a few particular people in the room. He knew Sasuke would be in a similar state.

Gaara stood with his siblings in one part of the room. Anyone with good survival instincts had moved away from the Sand team. Some hadn't but Naruto wasn't surprised to realize that he could recall none of them making it into the later rounds of the exam. So far he and Sasuke had managed to slip under Gaara's radar. They'd be taking care of business with him later. Gaara's mental state before Naruto had fought with him was such that it added an element of unpredictability to any situation. They hardly needed to get him involved before it was time.

The voice that cut into his thoughts was one that caused him to immediately go on high alert. He'd told himself over and over that Kabuto would be there but nothing could really prepare him. Sasuke's hand clamped onto his upper arm in a vice-like grip, restraining him. Naruto hadn't even realized he'd moved. It was lucky they were at the far side of the group from the Sound spy. Not only did it shield them from his sight, but it also blocked him from theirs. If Naruto had to interact directly with the traitor he wasn't sure he'd be able to control himself.

Sasuke was looking over at him, paler than usual with his mouth tightened into a thin line. This was a strain on him as well, though not quite as much as it was for the blond. Naruto looked Sasuke in the eye and nodded shortly. Only then was he released. Naruto winced at the ache in his arm, but knew the bruises would heal almost as fast as they formed. It had been necessary, but he barely suppressed the desire to whine at Sasuke. Maybe he would do that later anyway.

They lingered near the back as Kabuto interacted with the other rookies. The best course of action for them was to avoid contact, both to avoid catching Kabuto's interest and to better control themselves. It didn't seem as though Kabuto was interested in observing Sasuke either. After all, what was an Uchiha without the sharingan to Orochimaru? Still, it didn't prove anything. It made Naruto wonder why Kabuto was bothering with the rookies at all. Perhaps he was scoping them out for anyone who might be of interest to the snake sannin. They would have to be on their guard.

When a member of the team of Sound genin, Dosu, initiated a scuffle Naruto was reminded of what he'd been doing before Kabuto had interrupted. While the other's were preoccupied he quickly scanned the room. Gaara hadn't moved from his original position and seemed rather bored. His teammates were much the same. The reaction of the other genin was a mixture of shock, anxiety, and anticipation depending on their individual characters.

It took him mere seconds to find what he was looking for. In the mill of genin was an obvious Uchiha, older than Sasuke by several years. Naruto recognized him as an Uchiha blessed with sharingan, though his name escaped the blond. He should probably already have been a chuunin. There could be several reasons why he wasn't yet. For example, it was possible that one or more of his teammates had held him back. If Orochimaru did show up looking for a victim, this would be his target. He was young and had potential but was probably frustrated at being stuck as a genin for so long.

Satisfied with his observation, he turned to observe another potential problem, the Sound team. Dosu's teammate, Zaku, looked smug. The Sound girl, Kin, looked unaffected by her teammate's antics. Her eyes shifted slightly, catching Naruto's rather unexpectedly. He blinked when she tilted her head at him in a questioning sort of way. He grinned back cheekily. When he waved as well, she shifted her eyes away but not before the corner of her mouth twitched. Naruto wasn't quite sure whether this was good or bad. Naruto turned back to Sasuke, who hadn't missed the exchanged. The blond shrugged in an indifferent manner.

"There better not be a problem," Sasuke grumbled lowly.

"Nope! I'm just a guy looking at a pretty girl," Naruto replied. Sasuke snorted.

"We better not have to adjust our plans." They both knew. It could throw everything off if people became unnecessarily suspicious of them. Still, Naruto couldn't help but roll his eyes at Sasuke's paranoia.

"Che. It's all good. There's no need to change things," Naruto assured him confidently. Sasuke looked skeptical but didn't disagree.

It was right about then that Ibiki made his presence known, issuing a severe warning towards those who caused trouble. Naruto screwed his face up in horror at the announcement of a written exam. Now wasn't the time to worry about other things. He settled carefully into the role he had to play.

* * *

A pink haired girl sobbed pitifully at the base of a huge tree. Broken branches were scattered around her, evidence of how she'd fallen when they had not supported her weight. She rubbed at her eyes with dirt encrusted hands, only succeeding in grinding mud into them. Tears welled up in wide green eyes. They streamed down her face. Her leg was badly scraped and she was awkwardly trying to tend to it. From the awkward way it was held it was obvious that she wouldn't be walking on it. She leaned forward and whimpered over her injury. As she did so, the end of a scroll peeked out from the pouch at her waist. 

Her hidden observers grinned darkly. They communicated to each other with hand signs, coordinating their attack. This was just the kind of opportunity they'd been looking for. Hunting down a rookie team certainly had paid off. It made no sense to take risks when there was easy prey.

"Foolish girl, getting separated from your teammates. So unfortunate," he taunted as he appeared before her. His intimidation proved effective. She gasped in fright and tried to scramble backward, only to be hindered by her injury and the large tree blocking her way. His teammates closed in on her left and right. Bangs fell forward, shadowing her eyes. Her entire posture radiated defeat.

"Don't! P..p..please! J..just take it!" she fumbled in her pouch with trembling hands.

"That's right. Be a nice girl and we just might let you live," he sneered at her. Such a pathetic example of kunoichi she was. He was glad there were none on his team. They were only a hindrance. No wonder her team had left her behind. Still trembling, she pulled the scroll out of the pouch and tossed it at him. It flew slowly towards him in a high arc.

"Easy now. We don't want it dama…"

Without warning a triumphant smirk spread across her face. She glared at him with clear eyes. That was right before the airborne scroll erupted in smoke and a fist came flying toward his face.

Naruto dusted off his hands as he stood over the fallen nin. Then he grinned at Sakura and struck a victory pose. She smiled back at him. Even Sasuke smirked from where he crouched in front of one of the Rain shinobi, retrieving the scroll they had won.

"This is wonderful and all, but shouldn't we get going before the scavengers come out?" Sakura asked, releasing her henge. Her appearance became a great deal less scruffy.

"More ninja? Or do you mean animals?" Naruto inquired.

"Both," Sasuke answered tersely. "Giant snakes for instance…"

"Riiiight. No time like the present and all that," Naruto agreed quickly, gathering up the last of the supplies they'd pilfered from their fallen opponents. Seeing his sudden hurry, Sakura blinked.

"Did I miss something?" she muttered as she hurried to catch up with her suddenly departing teammates.

**ENDCHAPTERSIXTEEN**

Not much to say really. New chapter and all that. It's about time, no? Yes, I know I skipped describing the written exam. I could have taken another day and done so, but it would have been unbelievably boring. Not to mention unnecessary. I think you can fill in the blanks yourselves. The next chapter is going to be a great deal of fun though. I'm looking forward to writing it. Thanks everyone for reviewing. I know I didn't get to reply to that many of the reviews last chapter (due to technical difficulties with the site) but I hope I'll be able to for this chapter.

Thanks again!


	17. Ambush

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Seventeen – Ambush **

Yet another flurry of shuriken flew towards him. He wasted no time in pulling a kunai from his pouch and deflecting them from their course. Sasuke cursed frantically and wondered exactly how everything had gone straight to hell. It just wasn't fair. There was no way they could have planned for this. Things had been going so well too.

They'd been picking their way through the forest being careful to avoid other ninja, in particular Orochimaru. It would be detrimental to suddenly run into him by complete accident. It hadn't mattered though. Someone had set a trap for them. It seems that more than one team had decided to target Team Seven in particular. And this group was a great deal smarter than the last. They hadn't been ambushed by one team, but two. Both teams were leaf genin from the same age group, that is to say a few years older than Team Seven. Obviously they had made some kind of agreement to work together before entering the forest.

Using their advantage in numbers, the group of six had effectively split apart Team Seven. They'd been driven out of sight of each other. And they'd been so surprised they hadn't realized until it was too late. Sasuke cursed again. Now he was facing off against two opponents by himself. One of them was the other Uchiha taking the exam. It was just his lucky day. Actually, luck probably had nothing to do with it. Considering his standing with the clan, the Uchiha had probably sought him out to humiliate him on purpose. He gritted his teeth.

Even without his Sharingan activated, Sasuke had noticed a pattern already. Once they'd been separated, it was primarily the Uchiha who attacked him. The other only stepped in when it seemed Sasuke was getting the upper hand or when he tried to run away. So, one was to fight him while the other was support with the purpose of keeping Team Seven separated. It was effective, Sasuke had quickly realized. The trick would be getting the advantage without revealing too much of his abilities. He was confident, but knew that he'd already made one huge error in letting the situation happen in the first place. He simply couldn't afford to make another mistake such as that.

Sasuke smirked at the other Uchiha, careful not to make direct eye contact. If the other tried to use the bloodline's hypnotizing effect then Sasuke wouldn't be able to counter completely without activating his own. Taijutsu, he decided, was his best bet. It would reveal some of his ability, but nothing that would be too alarming for people to know. He and Naruto had planned a fighting method to counter the Sharingan. Now would be the perfect time to test it out. If he could eliminate the Uchiha, then defeating the other would be a cake walk. Sasuke would need to take him out in one shot, or the other would interfere.

The method was simple in theory. It had taken years of work to make into a reality. Much of their training had been for this purpose. One reason was to counter Itachi, who would no doubt be making another appearance. Someone like him didn't just fade into complete obscurity. The other was Orochimaru. With the Uchiha clan alive it would be impossible to prevent him from getting the Sharingan. Therefore there had to be a way to fight against it.

The first step was learning to attack in a completely random fashion, one that the Sharingan couldn't predict. It had taken four years for Naruto to succeed. It had taken longer for Sasuke, as he had to use a kage bunshin of himself to practice and he didn't have nearly stamina that Naruto did for such a thing. Sharingan couldn't copy or predict it.

The next step was speed. It was closely intertwined with the first. Even if the opponent couldn't predict a blow, if they saw it coming toward them they could still dodge or block if their speed was greater. Plus, the faster they moved, the harder it was to predict. This was a new style of taijutsu completely Sharingan-proofed. Sasuke and Naruto had just worked out the finer details just recently.

Kumotta shiryoku as they were tentatively calling it. This was going to be its first true test. Really, it would only deserve a name if it worked. And if it did, then it would be just as effective against people without the Sharingan, if not more so. The smirk faded slowly off his face. Part of the taijutsu was state of mind. He couldn't think too much on what he was doing, or else his attacks would begin to take on a pattern.

Without further thought he launched himself at the Uchiha, not withholding any of his speed. The first kick was a feint, though it wouldn't have mattered. The other had been momentarily frozen in surprise. Sasuke twisted around the other, so close they were very nearly touching. The Uchiha began to move, but it was too late, Sasuke's blow landed on his unprotected side. Ribs cracked audibly. He crumpled where he stood. It seemed that his breathing was labored, likely painful.

"Don't move. You'll only make the damage worse," Sasuke told him coldly. It wouldn't have mattered. The Uchiha had no intention of moving any time soon. Sasuke nearly scoffed at how pathetic it seemed. He turned his gaze back on where the second enemy had no even moved down from his perch in the trees. His face was a mask of shock and no small bit of fear. It was probably because Sasuke had taken out one of the much praised 'Sharingan wielders' with such ease.

"Do not forget. I too am an Uchiha," Sasuke growled at him. The other ninja seemed to get regain some control.

"He is not on my team. He assured us that his plan would yield victories with little risk involved. I do not wish to fight you," the other said, a bit formally. Then he took off, moving at a surprising quick pace.

Sasuke let him go. He gained nothing by pursuing the other. He had better things to do, like find his teammates. So preoccupied was he that he made a second large mistake, just the kind of thing he'd been trying to avoid. As he walked away from the scene of the battle, he failed to notice the observer hidden in the foliage.

* * *

At first, seeing how quickly she and her teammates had become separated, Sakura nearly panicked. Part of her worked on stomping down her anxiety while the most analytical part of her brain came to the realization of what their opponents were up to. Though she would never know it, she actually came to the realization faster than Sasuke had. All that study of strategy scrolls had actually paid off once she had been taught how to apply it during combat. 

It was all Naruto and Sasuke's doing. While training they had done everything in their power to scare, startle, and downright terrorize her so that she could learn to think on the go and function above her emotions. More than once she'd been completely humiliated. Naruto came up with horribly embarrassing things and Sasuke was ruthless. Many were the days that Sakura had nearly given up.

But she had learned. The sessions had changed her. One by one she learned how all those lessons on tactics and strategy and techniques applied in real life. This was the first time she would face real enemies without the assistance of her teammates. They each had their own pair of ninja to deal with. They were counting on her to pull her own weight. She would not fail them.

Viciously she shoved aside any remnants of panic. Her mind raced to create a plan as she dodged the assault of one of the ninja. They were stronger than her and more skilled, though so far she had proved more agile. They had yet to use ninjutsu. If the fight prolonged they would probably resort to just that. Also, if one of them grew tired they could simply switch roles. Sakura had no such options. She would have to act quickly.

She decided it was time to employ her own original tactic. It was only a slight variation of a simple henge, but required precise control. It had even impressed Sasuke and Naruto the first time she'd attempted it during one of their sessions. Her opponent swiped at her with the metal claws attached to his gloves. He misjudged the attack, becoming slightly off balance. It gave her the time she needed to leap back. Beads of sweat appeared on her brow as she activated the henge.

Her opponent issued a gasp of surprise. Sakura knew what he was seeing. Her skin and clothes had faded into mottled shades of brown and green in imitation of the forest around them. The colors shifted as she moved. The result was a sort of camouflage. She was not invisible, just a great deal harder to see. Also, it was difficult to pick out the exact outline of her body making it harder to see what she was doing. This kind of thing worked best in very particular kinds of terrain. A dense forest was perfect. In a brightly lit room it would be next to useless.

More wary now, her opponent hesitated to charge in at her again. His stance became more defensive. She never attacked him. Instead, she bolted to the side and leapt onto the overhead branches. Jumping from tree to tree she moved swiftly in a tight arc around the other, as though to evade him and rejoin her teammates. Seeing what she was up to the other ninja, another kunoichi, moved at an angle to intercept her. Sakura quickly calculated the point they would meet at. The ninja with the claws, not fast enough to catch up, was counting on his partner to stop her.

The kunoichi caught her in a matter of seconds. Sakura was forced to leap backwards off the branch she'd just landed on to avoid the kunoichi who came barreling in from the side. Sakura threw her arms up in front of her as the kunoichi landed on the branch. It exploded sending wooden splinters flying along with the kunoichi. The force of the explosion threw the other ninja into a tree where she passed out on contact. Sakura smiled grimly as she landed on the ground. The camouflage henge made it hard to see her, let alone read her movements. It wasn't surprising that the other hadn't noticed her apply the exploding tag to the branch.

It was not yet time to rejoice however. She twisted mid fall to land on her feet, facing the remaining ninja. Unfortunately for him the smoke and dust and wood splinters flying through the air made it nearly impossible to pick out her form. Naruto had commended her on the strength of her punches and she relied on it now. A nasty right hook sent him to the ground. A kunai attached with another exploding tag next to him, putting him out of commission.

All of it happened in a mere moment. That was the usual way with ninja. When one side outclassed the other, it was over quickly. Drawn out battles were rare, and usually only happened with opponents of nearly equal skill. She sighed wearily, feeling drained. All her energy had been poured into that sequence of rapid movement and the adrenaline was starting to wear off. Plus, she didn't have much stamina and had been using chakra to help her move faster. She quickly dispelled the henge as it was draining her reserves. Still, she had taken on two opponents all on her own and she was the one walking away. It was with a lilt in her step that she went to find her team.

* * *

Naruto looked up Sakura and Sasuke came into view almost simultaneously and from opposite directions. He hadn't even waited for them very long. Sakura looked a little weary, but otherwise they were both just fine. As they approached he held up a scroll triumphantly. Sasuke smirked silently at him and Sakura smiled while Naruto grinned wildly. 

"Hmph. Too easy," Sasuke noted. "One of my opponents ran away. He must have had the other scroll. Unless you got one too?" he asked Sakura.

"Ah, no. Neither of them did," she replied.

"That's awesome Sakura-chan! You got both of them?" Naruto exclaimed, waving his hands about. Even Sasuke looked approving. She blushed a bit at the compliment.

"We can't let something like that happen again," Sasuke said sternly after they had finished celebrating.

"Yeah," Sakura agreed. "It does us no good to get separated." Well, her individual fight had given her more confidence, but that was the only benefit. They'd been lucky to encounter opponents they could each handle on their own. "By the way Naruto, you seem like you were waiting for us. How did you finish your fights so fast?" she inquired.

"Oh, I didn't," he said a bit sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with one hand. "In fact, they should still be back there, fighting a bunch of my shadow clones as we speak…" he said with a small grin.

"Let's just get out of here before they anyone comes," Sasuke mumbled shaking his head while Sakura giggled. "All that ruckus probably caught a lot of attention."

"Ah, ruin my fun. But I guess you're right," Naruto grumbled.

Taking to the treetops they once again took up their trek toward the tower, unaware that they were being followed.

**ENDCHAPTERSEVENTEEN**

Well well well, a new chapter so soon. I'm just as surprised as I suspect everyone else is. Don't expect this often. Oh, and all of you that thought I was hinting at some kind of NaruKin pairing, well, you thought wrong. THERE ARE NO PAIRINGS. I'm not about to change that now. People can interact without romance involved you know. And there is a reason behind it, but I'm not telling what. It'll be revealed in the next couple chapters anyway, if not the very next one. Oh, and please excuse my Japanese. No I don't speak it, I just used a dictionary. Kumotta shiryoku means something along the lines of cloudy vision. If someone knows better, please inform me. Um, yeah, that's about it. Thanks to all reviewers!


	18. Ruse

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Eighteen - Ruse**

"_Who are you? You can't possible be genin…"_

"_Well…" Naruto chuckled a bit. "Technically neither of us have been promoted yet. That doesn't mean we don't have the skill. It's complicated and for now it's probably safer if you don't know." _

"_I see. Is there anything else I should know?" _

"_A few things, but this one warning is probably the most important. No matter what happens you must not reveal your bloodline. You _must not. _If you do, you will never get away. There's no way he'd let someone with your abilities go. The man has an unhealthy obsession for people with bloodline limits."_

"_I'll be careful."_

"_No. Listen to me. I know that you're probably used to concealing your ability, but you really have to take this warning to heart. However hard you hid your bloodline before doesn't matter. More than your life will depend on keeping this a secret. I have no doubts that he could destroy your soul, if he so wished," Naruto told him, emphasizing each and every word. _

"_Don't be careful," Sasuke cut in. "Be paranoid." _

Naruto came wide awake at the sound of a scream. Brushing the fragments of the dream aside, he blinked the sleep from his eyes. He'd been getting some rest while Sasuke kept watch and Sakura prepared a meal. The scream had been of the sharp, piercing variety. It was laced with terror. Sasuke jumped down from the trees to where Sakura and Naruto sat completely still. They stared in the direction the sound had come from.

"That was Ino," Sakura breathed, wide-eyed.

"You're sure?" Sasuke asked urgently.

"Positive." The kunoichi was on her feet and ready to move. Sasuke and Naruto nodded to each other behind her back. They would not leave one of their fellow Leaf genin in danger if they could help. Especially considering the kind of dangerous people were in the forest with them. They did not attempt to restrain Sakura when she took off in Ino's direction. Rather, they followed closely behind her. Reaching the scene of the battle, Sakura managed to keep her wits rather than go charging in. Naruto and Sasuke were relieved to see her conceal herself from the combatants in order to take stock of the situation. They followed her example.

The sight that met their eyes was one they had not been expecting. It was horrific. Blood soaked sand was strewn around the body of a leaf nin, one of Kabuto's genin team. Naruto recognized him as the one with the stretchy limbs. He wondered if Kabuto had been alone in his betrayal of the Leaf, or if his teammates were in on it. He was inclined to think their loyalties were with Orochimaru. The other was the chakra absorbing ninja who had faced Sasuke in the first round of the preliminaries the last time. Kabuto was no where in sight, which really wasn't surprising. He was probably off stalking some unsuspecting genin team.

Behind Gaara were Kankurou and Temari. The siblings looked ill at ease with their younger brother's actions, if only because he was completely out of their control. That was understandable. If he got out of control and gave Shuukaku free reign then they would be in just as much dangers as anyone else. Or maybe they knew about Kabuto's team being agents of Sound and were worried they'd be in trouble for not stopping Gaara from shredding their allies.

Team Ten seemed unharmed, if one did not count the fact that they seemed terrified beyond belief. Even Shikamaru looked queasy and he was the most likely to have taken such an event in stride. It seemed that the team had gotten caught up in the crossfire between the other two somehow. Gaara's focus wasn't on them, so they were alright for the moment.

This, Naruto realized, changed a great deal of things. He'd known that the line-ups for the preliminary matches were likely to change seeing as the selection was supposed to be random. However, if enough of the genin were eliminated before reaching the tower they might not have preliminary matches at all. For certain, the two members of Kabuto's team were out of the running. Even if they made it there, they were disqualified automatically due to one of their teammates being very, very dead.

But that thought needed to be considered later. At present the situation was rather bad. They could not afford to be fighting the sand siblings at this point. A drawn out battle with Gaara would draw way too much attention and would be too revealing. Team Ten wasn't in danger at that very moment, but Gaara could easily turn on them at the slightest provocation. In fact, if his bloodlust became too great he would attack without need for a reason. And from the look on his face Naruto was guessing that something had been done to set him off. He wondered what Kabuto's team had done to irritate him.

Whatever the cause, there was little hope of tiptoeing around the situation. In other words, they couldn't just grab Team Ten and run. And there wasn't time for a real plan. They'd just have to improvise. Naruto saw the sand swirl around the second of Kabuto's team. He was dead in seconds, falling next to his teammate. He heard a muffled gasp from beside him. Turning, he saw Sakura had a hand clamped tightly over her mouth. She was still not accustomed to this sort of scene. And it was a messy sort of scene.

It was then that Gaara turned his attention to the Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji. It was then that he froze, becoming unnaturally still. Naruto could see Shikamaru's shadow holding them in place. There was sweat beading on his face, showing the effort he was putting into holding them.

"Get out of here," he told Ino and Chouji. Shikamaru had no doubt realized exactly how outclassed their team was against the Sand team. His teammates protested, loudly. They would not leave him behind. "Go!" Shikamaru barked. Naruto could count on one hand the times he'd heard Shikamaru speak in that tone.

"I'll run a distraction. I can take a few hits if need be," Naruto whispered to his team, knowing they heard him even though he did not turn to look at them.

"Agreed. I'll back you up. Sakura, you'll need to get to Team Ten and tell them to retreat. If one of them is injured they'll need your help. We'll cover you," Sasuke said.

"Right," Sakura said. She was obviously frightened, but her voice was firm.

Naruto didn't wait for further confirmation. Pulling a handful of smoke bombs from his pouch he tossed them at the Sand ninja before leaping out from the concealment. Taking their cue Sakura and Sasuke also emerged. Sakura was at the side of Team Ten in a flash. Meanwhile, Sasuke took up a position between the group of Leaf genin and the team of Sand genin. Team Ten certainly wasn't protesting against the unexpected help. Sakura spoke to them shortly. If anyone on Team Seven could summarize a situation clearly and succinctly, she could.

Naruto saw Shikamaru nod, releasing his jutsu. Ino seemed to want more of an explanation, but Sakura didn't give her time to speak. She hauled the blonde after the two male members of the team, who were already retreating. He saw Shikamaru and Chouji look back at him briefly, with a particular look in their eyes. Naruto read the message. No dumb heroics, they were saying, not for our sake. That was fine. He and Sasuke wouldn't stick around long anyway. Besides, Naruto wasn't fooled. He knew those two were the type to rescue a comrade at the risk of their own lives when it came down to it. All of them were. And yet, none of them would want a comrade to save them at the cost of their life. Hypocrites, all of them. Naruto smiled to himself. At least it was a good kind of hypocrisy.

As expected, the smoke was blown away suddenly by a strong gust of wind. Naruto could see Temari standing behind Gaara with her fan open. That was alright though. Sakura and the others were already out of sight. Now, with a little luck, Sasuke and Naruto could make their escape. They'd have to meet up with the others a bit later, because they'd have to lose the Sand nin first. Gaara was looking particularly murderous now and even Temari and Kankurou seemed peeved. Well, Naruto knew from experience that getting a lung full of those smoke bombs was unpleasant. He'd chosen to use a particularly noxious kind. The smell tended to settle into the clothing making it easier to track the opponent by the distinctive scent. It helped that his nose was a bit better than most, barring unusual cases like Kiba's clan, the Inuzuka.

Frowning, Naruto noticed that the bandaged bundle was missing from Kankurou's back. That meant that either the puppet or the puppetmaster was hidden from sight. It was a clever move to make, taking advantage of the enemy's action. Naruto was still had the advantage of surprise however, though Kankurou did not know it.

The tendrils of sand came then, reaching for him and Sasuke both. The dodged backwards, darting in opposite directions. Kunai came flying out of the brush from Naruto's other side. Already twisting in midair to avoid the sand, he could not avoid them. Instead, he pulled out his own kunai to deflect them. They were no doubt from the puppet, and probably poisoned. Naruto had never had the opportunity to test his healing factor against poison and he'd rather not have to take the chance.

"Nyaah!" He stuck his tongue out impulsively at the puppetmaster, who twitched rather noticeably. "As if it wasn't obvious that your mummy was missing," Naruto said, just to rub it in. He couldn't gloat for long however, as he was busy fending off Gaara's sand. Risking a glance at Sasuke he saw him avoiding both Gaara's sand and Temari's razor winds. He almost paid for his inattention when a flurry of shuriken came again from the bushes. Seeing Kankurou smirking, he cursed inwardly.

A tentacle of sand lashed around his ankle. Naruto leapt into the air, in an attempt to break free. The grip of the sand tightened. It whipped him through the air, sending him flying into a tree with enough force to make the wood splinter. Naruto hit the ground hard. His resiliency made itself known then as he was moving in an instant. It seemed that he would need to take the offensive in order to walk away from the fight relatively uninjured. He ran the risk of revealing more than he wanted to, but it was inevitable. Diving into the foliage, he located the puppet by the smell left on it from the smoke.

Though it was likely that the others could not see him, Naruto used his body to shield the rasengan he created from view to be safe. The puppet was moving away in retreat, Kankurou likely guessing his objective when Naruto had charged in its direction. It was too late however. Rasengan plowed into it. Reckless but effective, fragments of it flew through the air. Naruto did his best to dodge the fragments of metal and wood. For the most part he did, but still obtained a few cuts. He wondered briefly if he'd been poisoned. It was possible that the toxin could have been on one of the pieces that hit him.

Naruto emerged from the bush as Kankurou maneuvered the remains of the puppet into the open. It was obvious from his face that the puppetmaster was stunned by the amount of damage done. The pupped was twisted into a deformed shape. Much of its weaponry was completely destroyed. Some of the limbs were still functioning, but Kankurou's options had just diminished by nearly seventy five percent.

Gaara's sand came after Naruto with renewed force, so he had no time to relish the destruction of the troublesome puppet. Apparently Gaara was irritated that neither Naruto nor Sasuke was dead yet. Naruto groaned as his vision blurred. He blinked to clear it. Yup, he'd been poisoned. He was sweating an unusual amount as well. That was as bad as the symptoms got though. He could feel a ghost of Kyuubi's chakra flitting through his system, neutralizing it. Well, he'd gotten to find out his tolerance for poison after all. Or at least he knew the results of one kind. He didn't want to find out what happened with quicker and deadlier toxins.

Still, it was enough to hamper his ability to dodge Gaara's sand. Before he could decide on a course of action, an answer to his dilemma came. Senbon rained down on the Sand siblings. They were blocked, but the distraction was effective. Naruto grinned. Their backup had come through for them. The blond let himself be grabbed by the back of the jacket and hauled backwards into the bushes. Then for a moment he felt as though he was being doused in ice water. The feeling disappeared as quickly as it came. The Sand siblings were, as far as he could tell, completely out of range. Still grinning Naruto waited for his rescuer to reappear with Sasuke in tow this time. The new development certainly made things easier.

"You're really amazing," Naruto said to their ally. "How long have you been following us? I wasn't sure you were there."

"Neither of us detected you," Sasuke added.

"Since your earlier fight against those two teams. That was as soon as I could get away from my…_teammates_," was the reply.

"How _did_ you manage that, anyway?" Naruto inquired in good humor. He plopped down on the ground to wait while the rest of the poison was purged from his system.

"I just suggested that we split up to hunt down our prey. They were arrogant enough to agree," their ally replied. Brown eyes sparked mischievously. Naruto snickered.

"Not surprising," Sasuke smirked. Naruto found Sasuke's amusement rather entertaining.

"This coming from the arrogant one himself," Naruto laughed. Sasuke took it in good humor. Both of them were still on an adrenaline high from their skirmish with the Sand nin. "By the way, you pull that look off very well," Naruto said, eyeing their ally in equal parts amusement and admiration.

"I've had practice. It's been weeks since I last felt like myself." Their ally, known to most as Kin, tapped the sound insignia on the forehead protector. Naruto was grinning and Sasuke had what appeared to be a permanent smirk plastered to his face. Even the sound genin sported an amused smile. It was just too amusing, knowing they'd succeeded in such a stunt right under Orochimaru's nose. Kin grinned at them and flipped away a few stray strands of hair.

"You really have to stop dressing up as a girl, Haku. You're far too good at it," Naruto laughed. Sasuke crossed his arms, shaking his head.

Haku just smiled.

**ENDCHAPTEREIGHTEEN**

If anyone guessed that little piece of my plot beforehand, I'll eat my shirt. This has been part of my scheme since the very beginning and now I finally got to see it done. You wouldn't believe how much I've been looking forward to writing this chapter. So there you have it. And it was a relatively quick update too. Of course, I've been waiting a long time to get to this point in the story, so it's not surprising I'm getting more done faster. It's easier to write when I get to have fun with the plot. More surprises ahead too. And no missing nin will become members of the Leaf in this story. Not gonna happen. More will be explained later. Do tell me what you think of this chapter. I actually wrote two versions, and this was the one I liked best.

And finally, thanks to all reviewers!

Oh yeah! And go to my profile so that you can check out the OMGSQUEE factor fanart that three really awesome people drew for this fanfic.


	19. Elimination

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Nineteen – Elimination**

"_You really have to stop dressing up as a girl, Haku. You're far too good at it," Naruto laughed. Sasuke crossed his arms, shaking his head. _

_Haku_ _just smiled. _

"For this length of time, it would have been a great deal more difficult to succeed in the deception had you not taught me your unusual technique," the missing nin said, teasing. "I don't think you are one to talk."

"He's got a point, dobe," Sasuke said. "You are, after all, the guy who went out of his way to invent a technique that turns you into a girl."

"Yeah yeah, you're all just jealous of my genius. Besides, it's not like it actually changed your actual appearance all that much, Haku." Naruto shook his head suddenly. "We really have to get going though. If we wait too long to catch up with the others, they might get it in their heads to come back and 'rescue' us."

"Yes. You should go," Haku agreed.

"What about your team? Won't they get suspicious if…wait!" Naruto snapped his fingers as an idea struck him. Reaching into his weapons pouch he withdrew one of their extra scrolls. "Take this, it's an extra. That way you'll have something to show for having been gone so long."

"You should keep it, in case," Haku said, shaking his head.

"No," Sasuke interrupted, forestalling further argument. "Take it. Even if we did somehow lose a scroll, there's plenty of time left. Better that your cover remain uncompromised."

Haku frowned showing that he still disagreed, but accepted the scroll. "It will make things a bit easier," he admitted as he tucked it away.

"We'll have to make it quick but, I take it you convinced your friend?"

"Ah, yes. He is perhaps less than happy at having to follow another's orders, but sees what he stands to gain. It was not as difficult to convince him as I had anticipated. Someday you are going to have to tell me your story. I imagine it will be quite the tale. However, it would be best if I left now," Haku told them, leaping onto a tree branch.

"Right. We'll see around then, Kin," Naruto said with a final wave and a snicker. Then Haku was gone disappearing into the forest.

"You okay?" Sasuke asked. Naruto climbed to his feet and tested his balance. The effects of the poison were all but gone and he was able to stand steady. Sasuke watched him carefully, but after a moment seemed assured of the blond's condition.

"You know, I forget to ask in exactly where Haku brought us." He approached a tree and began walking up it.

"We'll have to figure out where we are in relation to where the fight took place," Sasuke agreed, following him.

"Still, that was pretty cool. I didn't know he could pull other people through his ice mirrors like that. Fairly handy."

* * *

"Where are they?" Sakura muttered. Team Ten watched her as she paced, chewing her lower lip. 

"I'm sure they're fine, Sakura. They probably just had to take a longer route to lose those Sand guys," Ino said, trying to calm her friend.

The pink haired kunoichi did not look convinced. She slammed her fist into an unsuspecting tree, venting her frustration. Spider web cracks appeared in the bark. Ino flinched at the display. Sakura did not seem to care how her anxiety was affecting the group. Chouji was munching chips at a furious pace and even Shikamaru was watching her warily from where he was sprawled against the base of a tree.

"Tch. Troublesome. They're not the type to die in a place like this," Shikamaru spoke up, rather bluntly. Sakura turned a blank stare on him, while Chouji wisely inched out of Shikamaru's vicinity. However, Sakura looked away a moment later and muttered to herself. Then she nodded, as if she had come to some kind of decision.

"When they get here, I'm going to kill them for making me worry," she said with finality.

Suddenly, Shikamaru tensed. He sat up straight, holding up his hand as a caution for silence. The genin complied and a moment later heard a rustle a short distance away. In unison, the group of four tensed. All eyes turned in the direction they sensed ninja approaching from.

"Yo!" Naruto said as he leapt down from a tree.

"You idiot!" Sakura snapped. Naruto crashed face first into the ground as a fist crashed down on his skull. "What took you so long? I was scared sick!" she scolded.

"But Sakura-chan! Those guys were tough! They were hard to get away from!" Naruto whined as he pulled himself to his feet, nursing the bump on his head.

"No excuses!" Her eyes glinted as she whirled around to pin Sasuke with a glare. "And you!" she hissed, pointing at him. Sasuke stiffened from where he was half hidden behind a tree. He dodged away when she swung at him.

"If you don't let me hit you now," she began venomously, "then I'm going to make your life a misery later."

Sasuke believed her. While training with her, he and Naruto had been downright nasty with some of the tricks they had pulled in order to sharpen her reactions. It was shortly after they'd started using such tactics that her vicious temper had unearthed itself. Under the sweet Sakura on the surface was a ferocious beast with a short fuse. Bracing himself, he stood his ground and waited for the attack to come. Her punch impacted the side of his face, sending him sprawling on the forest floor.

"We are a team," Sakura declared firmly. "You should have been right behind us. Don't do that to me ever again." She shook her fist in emphasis. Looking back and forth between him and Naruto, she waited. Sasuke looked her in the eye before grunting his agreement in chorus with Naruto. She huffed once, but then held out her hand to help him up.

The reconciled Team Seven looked over to see the members of Team Ten staring in badly disguised astonishment.

"And I thought our team was strange," Ino muttered eventually. Chouji just shrugged and opened up another bag of chips.

"Troublesome."

* * *

It had been a couple days since they'd arrived at the tower when Team Seven was instructed to gather with the other teams in the room where the preliminary matches would take place. Kabuto's team, including the spy himself, were absent for obvious reasons. There were still too many teams however, thus the preliminary matches were still set to take place. Climbing the stairs to the observatory platform with the other Leaf genin, Naruto found himself looking across the room to catch Gaara's murderous glare. His siblings' expressions were equally sour. Naruto wondered if Kankurou had managed any repairs on his puppet. He grinned cheekily at them. In response the killing intent being projected at him increased twofold. Sasuke elbowed him in the side. 

"Don't bait the nice Sand ninja. We might be matched up against them," he muttered at the blond. Naruto couldn't suppress his snicker.

"Don't say things you don't mean, bastard. Besides, it's a little late for that, don't you think?" he retorted. One side of the Uchiha's lips twitched upwards, but otherwise he managed to keep a straight face. They leaned up against the rail nest to Sakura and Kakashi, who had joined them.

"You three seem to have done well," the masked jounin observed mildly. Indeed, Team Seven was in rather good shape. They'd had a couple days to rest at the tower and none of them had been seriously injured in their earlier fights, not including the poisoning. Seeing as Naruto had fully recovered it was a moot point. No one but Naruto actually knew about that little detail anyway.

"We kicked ass." Naruto grinned, stretching his arms behind his head. Glancing down at the first pair of combatants, Naruto couldn't help but silently laugh. The first match up on the board had turned out to be Shino versus Zaku. He couldn't help but wonder at the odds of it happening twice. He only partially paid attention to the fight. The outcome was fairly clear.

"Hm. By the way, I had an interesting talk with your former sensei, one Umino Iruka?"

Naruto and Sasuke both tensed for a split second at the inflection in their teacher's voice. Kakashi was doing that thing again, where he acted overly cheerful when he knew that his students were up to some kind of mischief.

"Look! Shino's doing really well!" Naruto tried to turn their attention to the match.

"From the academy? What was it about?" Sakura inquired curiously, completely ignoring Naruto's exclamation. Kakashi literally beamed at the opening she created. Naruto felt like crawling into a hole. Sasuke was putting on a convincing act of being absorbed in the match.

"He was just concerned about your abilities, what with the chuunin exams and all. Between us and Uchiha Mikoto though, we were able to determine that your skills are certainly up to par." Kakashi smiled at them. Naruto looked at him in barely disguised horror while Sasuke had turned around to stare at him as well. Sakura, completely oblivious to the undertones of the conversation smiled brilliantly.

"We've been doing really well," she said brightly.

"That you have," the jounin agreed, pinning the two boys with his one eyed gaze. Naruto immediately ditched the idea of a hole and started thinking more in terms of digging a grave. Kakashi had some kind of conversation with both Iruka and Mikoto and now knew more than the boys wanted him to.

"Winner: Aburame Shino!" the examiner, Hayate, declared interrupting the standoff. He coughed as the medics pulled Zaku onto a stretcher. All conversation paused as the gathered ninja turned their attention to the match screen. It flickered for a moment before the names appeared.

_Uchiha_ _Sasuke vs. Uzumaki Naruto_

The silence was deafening. Sasuke and Naruto stared at the board and then each other in disbelief.

"How did that happen?" Sakura muttered. Her confusion was echoed by several other of the Leaf genin.

"The hell?! They're on the same team!" Kiba protested loudly. Currently perched on his head, Akamaru yipped in agreement with his master.

"It is kind of weird," Ino noted.

"Well, the matches are random, so it can happen," Kurenai reminded them. Kiba quieted at his sensei's remark.

The Leaf teams' sensei were discreetly watching Kakashi and his students for their reaction. Asuma in particular was interested. Shikamaru rarely offered an opinion on anything, citing that it was too much effort. However, the subject of the other teams had once come up and he'd said something surprising. Apparently he thought there was more to Sasuke and Naruto than they let on.

Kakashi, though surprised, was also rather pleased by the turn of events. With a little luck, his wayward students would reveal something more. After the match he was going to drag them aside for a much need discussion. Or maybe interrogation would be a better word. Plus, seeing his students' stunned faces was extremely entertaining.

"If the participants would please step forward…?" Hayate prompted, eyeing the two genin who were currently frozen in some kind of silent exchange. Naruto broke the staring contest first. Gripping the rail with one hand, he flipped over it to the combat stage below. After pulling himself together Sasuke did the same, taking up his position opposite of Naruto.

Seeing both opponents prepared, Hayate brought his arm down sharply. "Begin!"

Immediately both jumped back several feet. There was a long pause as they watched each other. Eventually Naruto took the initiative. Reaching into his equipment pouch he pulled out a pair of smoke bombs. They were of a less noxious variety than the ones he'd used against the Sand team. To the surprised of those watching, he threw them down at his own feet. Dark smoke billowed out, hiding him from view. As soon as the smoke bomb hit the ground Sasuke could be seen making a series of rapid handseals.

"This should be interesting," Kakashi mused as the fight began. He caught the attention of those in hearing range immediately.

Meanwhile Sasuke finished the seals for his technique. "Katon: housenka no jutsu!" he said just before a flurry of fireballs shot towards the cloud of smoke. The technique was a good choice, meant to flush Naruto out. As the fire entered the smoke around thirty Naruto clones swiftly emerged. They spread out around the room taking up positions everywhere, the ceiling included. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Since Naruto had preformed the technique out of sight there was no way of guessing which one was real.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura looked up at her sensei, surprised that he seemed so pleased to see his students fight against each other. Kakashi just hummed thoughtfully in response.

"That tells us nothing Kakashi," Asuma muttered irritably around his cigarette. The Copy-nin could be infuriating and he usually didn't even have to try. Surprisingly, Team Seven's teacher actually proceeded to offer more insight.

"I don't know who'll win," he admitted. Reaching towards his face he pulled up his forehead protector, exposing his Sharingan. It revealed just how interested he was in the fight.

In all actuality it was an impressive battle. Those watching were being drawn into it. Moreover, from their immediate reaction to each others moves the two opponents were extremely accustomed to fighting each other. They took steps to counteract the other the very instant they made a move. Sasuke was moving among the clones, quickly decimating them with a judicious combination of taijutsu, kawarimi no jutsu, and projectiles. The kawarimi he used to replace himself with another clone just before taking a hit. By doing so repeatedly he often avoided taking damage and dispelling a bunshin at the same time. It didn't seem to do much to deplete the actual number of clones however. If one watched closely they could see that more clones would poof into existence to fill the gap. Even then it was impossible to tell who the real Naruto was as several clones made the hand signs at the same time to further mask the real user's location.

"That's an odd thing to say. Shouldn't you know your own students?" Kurenai asked, her voice laced with skepticism. The other jounin were thinking along similar lines.

"Isn't Sasuke going to win? Naruto was last in the class and Sasuke's the year's number one rookie." Kiba added.

"A genius can be overcome by one who works hard," Lee protested. "And Naruto-kun is fighting splendidly! Though, Sasuke-kun is also impressive."

"It's a battle of stamina," Neji put in. He was seemed surprisingly focused on the fight. With him it was hard to tell however whether he was impressed or not. At the very least he was interested.

"That's right. Sasuke is run down fighting clones or Naruto runs out of chakra and can't produce any more. Shadow clones use a lot of chakra. It's surprising he can make that many," Asuma explained to the genin who looked confused by the Hyuuga's observation.

Kakashi ignored all of this as he watched the fight closely with his Sharingan. As the others discussed the battle he'd made a surprising observation. Naruto and Sasuke were communicating. Sasuke would whisper something to a clone when he closed in for a blow. The bunshin would be dispelled giving the real Naruto knowledge of what Sasuke had said. Then one of the new clones Naruto created would tell Sasuke his response in the next attack. Judging by how long this had been going on, he guessed they were arguing over something. It had taken some time for him to pick up on it seeing as they had cleverly disguised the whole thing.

When Naruto stopped producing more clones everyone assumed he had run out of stamina. Kakashi knew better. Their argument had come to a conclusion. The clues were subtle, but with the Sharingan's aid Kakashi was able to tell that Sasuke had won their hidden dispute. Moments later all the clones had been destroyed. Both looked a bit winded, but they were probably putting on another act. They faced off across the room in an almost identical replication of how they began. Slowly, Sasuke straightened from his stance. His hand rose into the air.

"I give up," he announced calmly. Startled exclamations followed. The Uchiha looked up and pinned the more vocal of the genin with a glare. It had seemed to many of them that Sasuke had gained the upper hand near the end.

"Winner: Uzumaki Naruto," Hayate announced, the examiner not being one to argue if a participant gave up.

"Sakura, I'm afraid you'll have to stay here since you haven't fought yet. Don't worry, I'll be back soon," Kakashi informed the girl as he repositioned his forehead protector.

"H-hai!" the startled girl agreed. With a poof Kakashi disappeared from the balcony to reappear next to Naruto and Sasuke. He snagged Naruto by the back of his collar before proceeding to do the same to Sasuke. Ignoring their discomfort he frog marched the pair toward the exit.

"Don't mind us. We just need to have a private discussion. Do continue," the jounin said over his shoulder as he escorted his wayward students out. Naruto and Sasuke, resigned to their fate, did not try to escape.

**ENDCHAPTERNINETEEN**

There's not a whole lot to say really. I was tired when I wrote this, so there are probably mistakes that I didn't catch. I'll try to go over it again later. Tell me what you think, 'kay?

Thanks to all reviewers! Until next time!


	20. Secrets

**Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter Twenty – Secrets**

"I'm disappointed," Kakashi told them. There was no preamble, no rambling statements leading up to the fact. As soon as Kakashi had gotten them in a secure room in another section of the tower he'd told them exactly what he thought. He leaned up against the closed door with his arms crossed. Neither Sasuke nor Naruto had any intention of trying to leave, but Kakashi didn't know that and wasn't taking chances.

"I had thought that by now you could have learned to trust me. And I thought we'd cleared this up. It seems it's a bigger problem than I thought," the jounin continued when the silence stretched. While I understand that everyone has a right to their own privacy, the secrets you are keeping could be potentially dangerous. It is one thing to hide strength. In fact, it is a useful tactic that can be used to mislead enemies. Now do you understand my problem?" His glare intensified.

Sasuke and Naruto glanced at each other, then back at Kakashi. The silence was answer enough. Their sensei sighed and shook his head. He seemed angry, but more than anything, honestly disappointed, as though they'd made some terrible mistake that he couldn't understand.

"Enemies are the ones you should deceive. Not your allies. Not your sensei. And most definitely _not your teammates_!"

To their credit, the genin had the decency to look properly ashamed at that.

"Now to some extent I could understand. The reasons you gave for hiding your strength during the mission to the Wave Country were legitimate. However, now that I've discovered the sheer extent to which you've gone…let's just say you'd better have something very good to say for yourselves." At this point Sasuke moved to speak…and then decided against it when Kakashi stared him in the eye. The jounin continued uninterrupted.

"Were you jounin, or even chuunin, such deceit would be forgivable as you would have already proven yourselves to your superiors and your village. But you are not. You are genin. You are not qualified to be making such decisions, let alone conceal things that could be detrimental to your performance from your commanding officer – which would be me, in case you missed that detail. So now I'm _ordering_ you to tell me in full detail about what it is you've been hiding. And like I said, it had better be good."

"W-what's with the hostility, sensei?" Naruto said, not really managing to sound as upbeat at he was trying to. The mild stutter kind of put a dampener on that.

"For all I know, you could be an enemy in disguise at this point." Kakashi was gratified to see both boys visibly start. Obviously the idea had not occurred to them. "I don't think this is the case," he amended after taking a moment to let them sweat it out. "But you must come to realize what the reality looks like."

"…Not so good, I guess," Naruto groaned, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

Kakashi nodded. "Not so good," he agreed.

"Then…what do you know?" Sasuke asked finally, resigning himself to what was rapidly becoming a painful conversation.

"Hmm. That's an amateur trick, Sasuke. No, you're spilling it all. I'm going to keep what I know to myself and you'll just have to hope I don't catch you in a lie. I guess it proves you really are my cute little genin at heart, making such awkward attempts to trick me," Kakashi said with an uncomfortably wide grin.

"Um, I understand you're trying to freak us out sensei, but channeling super-brows is a bit much…" Naruto cut in. One of the blond's eyes was developing a twitch, Kakashi noticed. He glanced at the other genin, who was nodding in agreement, a vaguely constipated expression on his face.

"Ah, you might be right." The jounin scratched at his head a bit awkwardly. His expression suddenly morphed back to being completely serious. "In any case, start talking."

The genin exchanged another glance. Then Naruto blinked slowly and tilted his head a bit. With motions equally deliberate, Sasuke nodded. Kakashi just sighed. There they went again with the silent and completely unreadable communication. Feeling a bit out of the loop, he waited patiently for them to finish. Little did he know exactly what the dastardly duo had just decided do was much more complicated than that short communiqué seemed to imply.

Sasuke and Naruto knew, after years of practice, that the best way to deceived someone is to be completely honest. Thus, they were moving on to what could tentatively be called 'Plan B'. Actually, it was more like a last ditch effort to hide the truth from him. Originally, they were going to try and give a reasonable sounding explanation to through Kakashi off. However, having seen how their sensei had approached the situation he would definitely not be thrown off by such a thing.

Well, there was one sure way hide a secret. By sacrificing a smaller secret they could conceal a larger one. However, the smaller secret had to be large enough on it's own that the person being lied to, in this case Kakashi, would have no reason to think they were hiding anything that could possibly deeper or darker than what had already been revealed. That was no easy thing. However, at this point it could be very effective. If handled right, Kakashi would have no reason to question them again. In fact, things might even turn out for the better.

But that still didn't make it any less of a gamble. If they slipped up and Kakashi noticed they were screwed.

"It all starts with my brother," Sasuke began finally. He forced himself into a relaxed position, leaning up against the wall. It took a minute, but the tension slowly began to bleed out of his muscles. Naruto just plopped himself down on the floor. He was content to let Sasuke do the talking and it could end up being a long explanation.

"Go on," Kakashi prompted. Sasuke hesitated only a moment before laying out the history that they had prepared for just this sort of situation.

"Itachi was…I knew something was wrong with him. To be honest, I had known for a long time before the…incident. There was no evidence anything was wrong with him. The only reason I knew was because I knew him better than anyone else. I followed him that day. I don't think he realized, but the day he tried to murder Shisui, he was leaking killer intent. As his brother, I couldn't help but notice. I'd been noticing how strangely he was acting for awhile. At that time, I thought he was going to do something terrible. So I followed him."

"You didn't tell anyone?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke snorted. "I suppose not," the jounin observed wryly.

"A little kid with a bad feeling and little training? What would I know? I told Naruto. Itachi was my brother. I didn't want to think that he could do anything to me, but he'd been different. He felt dangerous. I don't think anyone else noticed, by when they weren't watching him, he could be terrifying. There came a point that even though I used to idolize him, I was scared of him. I don't think he even noticed that his harmless younger brother saw anything unusual. He probably thought I wouldn't even be worth killing," Sasuke spat, sounding every inch as bitter as Naruto knew he really was.

"So, Sasuke told me that something was wrong with his brother and that he had to talk to him alone. But he was scared of what Itachi might do. We came up with a plan so that I could interrupt them, just in case. We had radios so that if Sasuke was in trouble I could lead help straight to him. I set up a prank on at the Uchiha compound to get them to follow me, since no one would listen to me under normal circumstances," Naruto said, explaining his role in the story.

Kakashi hummed thoughtfully. It wasn't a bad idea. Though childish, it was an effective plan. In fact, it reminded him of when he'd been young. He wondered if there had been a couple ninja prodigies under their noses the whole time. "Then what?"

"I went to find Itachi," Sasuke continued. "I didn't want to admit to him that I was following him, so I made it seem like an accident. I didn't realize I was walking into anything as bad as a murder attempt. For just a moment, I looked him in the eye. What I saw…he knew. He knew right then that I lied. It's like he knew everything from that one look and put all the pieces together. I think he knows that I wasn't fooled by his act, that I somehow became the reason his plan failed. He hates me."

"And the feeling is mutual," Kakashi observed. Sasuke didn't deny it. The jounin seemed to consider him for a moment.

"He's going to come back some day. I'm going to be ready for him," Sasuke added after a moment. There was no hesitation in his voice, just terrible intent. "I won't let him take anything else. I think he wants nothing less than to wipe out our clan, but I also think he wants to kill me."

"And so you gained strength for the purpose of fighting him. Why the secrecy, and what about Naruto?"

"I never thought my clan would distrust me. I didn't once think that they would turn on me." The admission was given with raw honesty. "At first, I couldn't tell them anything or ask for their help with the incident so recent. And then, the stronger I became the more I had to hide, the more I withdrew, the more suspicious they became, the more it was important for me to hide. I had a secret from early on that I couldn't reveal, because I would have been too much like my brother." Sasuke, with no more warning than that, looked Kakashi in the eye and activated his sharingan.

Kakashi, for the record, was one cool customer. The only sign of his absolute shock was that he straightened and his one visible eye widened a fraction. "The sharingan," he breathed. He noticed immediately the three marks in each eye. "And it's developed. How…how long?"

"My bloodline's been active for years, since way back in the academy. With this, it was easy to see how things like the tree walking was done, only there was no way to explain how we discovered it."

It took a moment for Kakashi to digest the implications. No matter what way he looked at things, it fit. "What about the rest of it? What about you Naruto?"

"Kakashi-sensei, you gotta understand. We've got _goals_. I'm going to become Hokage, gain the respect of the village, _and _protect the people important to me. That means I have to be strong." Naruto ground his fist into his palm. "But I need to rise in the ranks too. And yet, if they think I'm too strong too fast, there are people who will hate me or be scared. But I can't let myself be weak because then my friends could get hurt."

"So you want to gradually earn respect a little at a time?" Kakashi was inwardly astounded. The depth Naruto had just revealed made him think that Hokage was not such a far off goal after all. "And by hiding your strength you're actually working under a handicap."

"That's correct." Sasuke smirked. "With good teamwork we could stick to basic, unsuspicious skills and get the same results. But we had to be on the same team."

"Things just kept snowballing." Naruto shrugged at his sensei, who was rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Kakashi was definitely beginning to see the picture now.

"So you figured out how they selected teams and did your best to make sure you were on the same one. And then you planned to make it looked like you earned your strength at an average rate, so as not to alarm people. And Sasuke, you never planned on revealing that you had the sharingan, did you?"

"No. I still don't. Unless you're going to say something, sensei?" Sasuke huffed, looking affronted.

"I should. But all things considered…" Kakashi hesitated for one long moment. "I won't." Though Kakashi had a lot to think about, the jounin knew that much already. It would take awhile for him to process all that he'd learned and decide on a course of action. Just by knowing the truth he'd gotten himself neck deep in their scheme. Of course, he had a feeling they only revealed all of this because they did in fact trust him.

Kakashi's problem was that their trust was well placed. He cared about his errant little students and wasn't going to betray them. But that meant covering up for them. And _that_ meant participating in their deception. In fact, the only person Kakashi was going to trust this information with was the only person he couldn't keep it from, the Hokage himself. Even then, he knew the real reason he'd tell the Hokage was because the man would no doubt support Kakashi in keeping the secret. He rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily, feeling a headache coming on.

"You brats," he muttered finally. "Somehow you've suckered me into your little plot. So be it, but it's going to be on my terms. No matter how much stronger than the average genin you are, I can still beat you up and tie you to a log post if I feel like it," he grumbled under his breath. To be honest, he was miffed his students had pulled one over on him. At least Naruto had the decency to look sheepish. It appeased Kakashi a little to see that even Sasuke, though not outright ashamed, was shuffling a bit. "When the exams are over our team is going on a training camp, I think. At which time, you will show me exactly what you are capable of. And I'm going to take great delight on ironing out the mistakes you've made in your self-training." In other words working them into the ground. And he'd laugh while he did it too.

"Er…what mistakes?" Naruto inquired bravely.

"You honestly didn't think that holding back all the time and only fighting all out against each other wouldn't create problems? You've got some bad habits. I noticed the first time I saw you fight, though I didn't realize exactly what caused it then. Eradicating bad habits is never fun."

"…it's going to be painful isn't it?" the blond squeaked.

Kakashi _grinned_.

* * *

It was a satisfied sensei and a pair of apprehensive teammates that returned to Sakura's side. She frowned at them as they gathered around her. The curiosity was tearing her apart, but by the look Kakashi sent her now wasn't the time to ask. Very well then. She knew what was coming. Any second now Naruto was going to ask her what had happened while they were gone. He was probably feeling miffed that he'd missed out on some of the fights. She braced herself for the outburst. 

"Sakura, what happened while we were gone?" Sasuke asked her.

Well, she'd been wrong before.

Naruto noticed her hesitate. "You didn't go while we were gone, did you?" he exclaimed anxiously. She waved him off quickly.

"No, no, no! Don't jump to conclusions. Though what exactly did you plan on doing if you had missed my fight, huh?" She planted her hands on her hips and frowned.

"Hey! Don't look at me! It's not like I asked to be dragged off," Naruto protested frantically.

"That's right." Sakura cracked her knuckles as she glared at Kakashi from the corner of her eye. He just looked straight back at her and smiled that creepy one eyed smile. She shuddered. Suddenly, she seemed subdued. "I'm happy you're all back, but…"

Her teammates followed her gaze down to the match floor. From their vantage point, they could see a pair of ninja were mopping up the blood pooled on the ground.

"You missed three matches. But the last one…it didn't last very long. That sand nin. He killed him."

Naruto's breath caught. He scanned the row of solemn looking leaf nin, scared that a face would be missing. Then he looked across the room. Predictably, all the sand siblings were accounted for. His eyes fell on Haku next disguised as Kin.

"It was the sound nin, Dosu. That guy, Gaara, killed him," Sakura continued. "After you left Chouji fought the sand kunoichi and lost, though he almost was able to plow past her wind jutsu. Then it was Hinata against Ino. Well, Hinata won once Ino got frustrated and Hinata got over her reluctance to hurt her. But then Gaara…it was slaughter. He controls the sand. He completely crushed the sound nin." She bit her lip as she looked at her stunned teammates. Kakashi's smile had long since slipped. He watched her with concern. He didn't know what had happened in the forest, but it was possible that this was the first time Sakura had seen someone die, especially in that sort of bloody manner. What happened next could make or break her as a ninja. Right now, at this moment, something was definitely eating at her. He sent warning looks at the two boys, though he hadn't needed to. They were already paying careful attention to Sakura's distress.

"Sasuke, Naruto," she began, sounding hesitant. "I don't know how you got away from him but…if back then I'd know that I was leaving you behind with someone like him…well…I wouldn't have left you there. You know that, right? I wouldn't have left you?"

"We know, Sakura." Sasuke didn't hesitate when she looked at him for reassurance. "We know."

* * *

Yes, I know, this chapter took forever. I rewrote this chapter four times, believe it or not. But anyway, I've been busy with classes and working on my original fiction so I haven't really spent much time on this recently. And I'll admit I kind of needed a break from the Naruto fandom for awhile. It happens now and again. As you can see, I still haven't abandoned this. I don't think I can at this point. It eats at me, knowing it's not finished yet. The end of this chapter feels a bit off for some reason and I'm not entirely happy with it. As I said before though, I rewrote this four times. I am not doing it a fifth, so I'm afraid I'm just going to settle for this despite being less than my best. Thanks to all reviewers! Wishing you all the best! 


	21. Gears

**Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto**

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter 21 - Gears**

It had taken fifteen minutes for Sakura to calm down after her conversation with her teammates. That had been all the time Neji needed to beat down Kankurou. On one of his better days, Kankurou might have been able to push Neji to the limit. This was, however, not one of his better days. The byakugan gave Neji an automatic advantage against the puppeteer. Not only could he see through all the puppets tricks, but he could also see the chakra strings used to control it. For a jyuken user it was a relatively simple matter to sever those strings. Not only that, but the puppet was still badly damaged from Naruto's rasengan. Kankurou had only been able to make minor repairs. Naruto had no doubt that the sand genin would blame Naruto for his loss.

Once Neji had gotten within hands reach of his opponent it was all over. Naruto would admit that he found the outcome to be rather satisfying. Never mind that Neji was still the worst kind of asshole at this point in time. Kankurou just annoyed him. Right now he was in on a plot to destroy Konoha. That was never a way to get on Naruto's good side. Also, though this Naruto would not admit, it was fun to watch Neji in action. Having greater experience this time, Naruto was able to appreciate the Hyuuga prodigy's skill. Naruto marveled at the fact that he had been able to beat the guy. Kankurou was good, very good. And he was vicious. But he was unlucky to have been matched up against a natural enemy, and a particularly skilled one at that.

So, Neji moved on to the main exam. No surprises there. Naruto figured the only way he wouldn't would have been if he'd gotten Gaara instead. It was only by gaining skill himself that he was able to see the gaping difference in strength between his former self and the opponent he'd had. By all rights, Neji should have beaten him, as well as Zabuza, Haku, and countless others. It was like standing at the bottom of a mountain. It wasn't until he'd started climbing that he appreciated how high it was.

After that Shikamaru had to go up against TenTen, the poor guy. It seemed in every universe he got matched up against the girls. Knowing what Naruto did about him now, it wasn't surprising when he won, especially since TenTen was not aware of his shadow manipulation abilities. It was actually kind of stupid. Naruto had the feeling that along with Shikamaru, TenTen was more qualified to be chuunin than most of the current Leaf participants. Anyone who could put up with both Neji and Lee, along with their crazy sensei, was a freakin' saint in Naruto's humble opinion.

In the match between Kiba and Lee it was easy to see who was superior. They were both taijutsu type fighters, though Kiba also focused on beast fighting. Ultimately Lee had both more experience and superior training. Okay, so it was a ridiculously, freakishly, teeth grindingly hard superior training at that. Kiba was an amateur in comparison. However, it was a brilliant display of taijutsu abilites on both their parts.

There was only one match left now. Kabuto was disqualified since his teammates were dead, courtesy of Gaara's sand in the second exam, so only two genin remained. Even now Sakura and Kin were making their way to the floor.

Well shit, Naruto thought to himself. There was a match that was unanticipated. With Haku as Kin there was really no possibility of Sakura getting seriously injured or killed. However, it did mean that she was going to lose. It was important that Haku win. Orochimaru wasn't the type to tolerated failures and would be more likely to leave a successful tool be. Failures often ended up as experiments. That, and it assured that Haku would be in the final.

While Naruto would love to cheer Sakura to victory, it just wasn't possible. Also, it was better she not be in the finals. It's not like there was much chance of being promoted during this exam anyway. The fact that Sakura and Sasuke had been eliminated so far was good. Naruto was just unhappy that he was still in the exam. He and Sasuke had both planned on losing in the preliminaries.

Naruto was aware of how much that would shock the others if they knew. The facts were simple. Knowing the invasion was coming, it would be simpler for them if they didn't have to worry about the exam. Making chuunin at this point was not important. Most genin didn't even take the exam as rookies anyway. When he and Sasuke were matched up it ruined their plans. It was a lot harder to fake and exact tie for a double elimination after all.

He chewed his lip as he silently watched Sakura face off with Haku, posing as Kin. Sakura didn't know who it was of course. She seemed nervous. Naruto could see her fists clench. He should cheer for her, he knew. It was just hard to make himself do so knowing that he and Sasuke had given Haku absolute instructions to win this match. He'd made his teammate lose before she ever got to try.

"Calm down Sakura. Remember everything we've done up to now," Sasuke called down to the pink haired girl. Naruto shot him a surprised glance, and then grinned.

"That's right Sakura-chan! Show them what you can do!" Naruto yelled, punching the air with a fist. He tried to make console himself with the knowledge that he hadn't actually told her to win.

Sakura didn't see it of course, since she was wisely keeping her eyes on the opponent. Naruto's action was more for the benefit of those who could see him, like Kakashi.

Down on the floor, Sakura's mind raced through her options while she waited for the examiner to begin the match. Unlike in the forest, the current surroundings wouldn't work for her camouflage jutsu. That left basic equipment and jutsu at her disposal. She also had a pair of exploding tags, a noxious smoke bomb courtesy of Naruto, and twenty feet of ninja wire courtesy of Sasuke.

She was going to have to be creative in a way Naruto could be proud of.

The moment the match began, a handful of senbon came flying her way. Sakura leapt backward, blocking them with a kunai as she went. She wasted no time tossing the smoke bomb out between them. Until the remnants of the smoke completely cleared, her modified henge would be enough to keep her form obscured. If she was silent enough, it should buy her some time.

She didn't know that her opponent had a mentor who excelled at silent killing. She also didn't know that though Haku could have easily attacked her then, he didn't for fear of accidentally striking a killing blow without the precision that a clear view would have afforded. It was for that reason that Sakura had time to make her preparation.

When the smoke cleared there were four of Sakura standing where one had been before. Between the three bunshin, her henge, and the preparations she'd made she was feeling the drain on her chakra. All four Sakuras hefted a kunai and threw it at her opponent. Three were illusion, one was real. Not just anyone could make their bunshin throw illusionary weapons. It showed how much talent Sakura had for genjutsu.

Haku dodged them with relative ease. The real kunai flew past him to lodge in the behind him. It was only because of a particular shine of the light that he saw the wire attached to it. Unlike TenTen, Sakura was using the wire for a different purpose. She channeled her chakra down the wire, activation the exploding tags wrapped around the handle. Haku hadn't noticed because she'd used henge to make the tag blend with the kunai's handle. It was an unorthodox application of the technique and had drained a lot of chakra. She was breathing hard at this point.

Haku was caught mid leap. He managed to avoid the full blast, but still found himself propelled through the air to the far wall. It was hard to change one's course while flying through the air, but managed to twist around enough to minimize the damage. He was impressed. Haku knew that Sasuke and Naruto were skilled, but apparently their teammate was no slouch either. He felt bad about what he was going to do, but it couldn't be helped.

The unplanned flight had temporarily taking him out of her range of vision. Since he'd seen the wire, Haku knew which was the real Sakura. A pair of senbon flew silently through the air, aimed to disable. The girl, still recovering from the chakra drain, never saw it coming. She collapsed on the floor in a heap, the needles protruding from the side of her neck. The two boys and their sensei was at her side immediately.

Haku was a little concerned the Copy-nin would recognize the attack. To Sakura's credit, she'd pushed him into using the attack when he hadn't intended to. In truth, he was fairly limited in his attacks while playing the role of the sound kunoichi. He faked a haughty sort of huff when the examiner pronounced 'Kin' as the winner. As much as he wanted to stick around and make sure the girl was okay, he could not.

When the Konoha medics removed the needles and proclaimed Sakura to be well enough, Haku began wondering whether or not he should return to the balconies. The preliminary matches were over after all. The Hokage saved him from making a decision when the aging shinobi took the floor himself to congratulate the winners and explain the third exam.

Haku steeled himself as he drew his number for the match-ups. There was a great deal to be done in the month's grace period before the final and just barely enough time to do it. As much as he had to do, he was sure that Naruto and Sasuke had it worse than he. Things were about to get very, very difficult.

* * *

Five hours later found a weary Hokage waiting for Kakashi to appear in his office for an increasingly important discussion. The jounin probably suspected just how tired the Hokage was, for he appeared at the door only ten minutes after their agreed upon time. The Hokage was squeezing in this meeting. There was a great deal to be done due to the exams. He'd spent the hours after the preliminary on official duties. By all rights he should be in bed sleeping, like any sane man his age would be.

But Sarutobi was the Hokage. He would work himself into the grave before neglecting his duties to Konoha. He only wished there was someone he trusted to take his place. As it was, he was becoming increasingly nervous that he did not have a worthy successor ready to take the position.

"Hokage-sama," Kakashi began. "Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice. I'm actually surprised you were able to fit me in."

"I actually needed to speak to you about something as well, Kakashi. With things as they are now, it's better to kill two nin with one jutsu."

Kakashi's visible eye widened at Sandaime's unusually morbid tone. In truth, the jounin hadn't thought he'd be able to speak to the Hokage so soon. Sure his students were important, but it shouldn't have warranted an immediate meeting. He'd wondered what the Hokage would otherwise need to speak with him about. Apparently it was nothing good.

"I've been receiving disturbing reports lately. They happen to relate to something that happened to your team on its mission to the Wave Country. It appears that Momochi Zabuza has been spotted in Fire Country, near the border. He was pursued to the border by the team of Anbu who spotted him. They did not follow past the border, but did observe him joining up with a group of what seemed to be Sound ninja. The Anbu were fairly certain that Zabuza and the Sound ninja did not know they were still being observed." Sarutobi waited a minute for Kakashi to digest the information.

"So Zabuza is alive, as I suspected. I don't understand why he would be in Fire Country however, or in the company of the Sound," Kakashi admitted, hand on his chin.

"It made me wonder as well, so I secretly dispatched a team to Sound to check things out. I had a few others look into things as well. It seems that a great many missing nin are being recruited into the Sound as legitimate ninja at a disturbing rate. Sound's numbers have been greatly bolstered, far beyond what their estimated strength was. In addition, their activity near our borders is suspicious. Also, the team recognized a Sand ninja in civilian garb conversing with Sound shinobi within their borders. The Sand nin would not have been recognized as such if one of my team's members had not recognized him. The sand nin, I will note, is not a missing nin."

The Hokage's face was gray with concern. Kakashi thought that in the dim light, with that serious expression, it was easy to see the man's age. Still, the jounin wouldn't worry too much. There was steel in the old man's gaze. He wasn't a Kage for nothing. It said a lot that the man had lived to such an age. Not many ninja did.

"You suspect something underhanded?" Kakashi prompted.

"Don't hedge, Kakashi. You know well that ninja are always underhanded. I'm afraid these years of peace have made me soft, however," Sarutobi admitted.

"Will there be an attack?" Kakashi privately thought that the elder shinobi was anything but soft. Just because he favored peaceful solutions did not mean he was not a hardened veteran. The man had survived two wars after all.

"Maybe. I prefer to think there will not, but that is foolish optimism."

Kakashi saw as the transformation came over the man. With that one statement he went from village leader to shinobi commander. It was a side of the man Kakashi hadn't seen in years.

"Hokage-sama! What is it you need me to do?" Kakashi had unconsciously straightened in response to the transformation. The Hokage had his full attention.

"You can begin by going over the details of your encounter with Zabuza once more. Afterwards I describe in detail the tasks that will need to be accomplished with utmost secrecy. Kakashi, you are one of the ninja I trust implicitly, not just to follow orders but also to make judgments and take action in a manner I would approve of."

"I try," Kakashi replied, a crooked grin showing from under his mask.

It was going to be a long night.

**END CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

So, I'm back. Ha! Go figure, right? You can all thank Kuroi Fushichou for leaving the review that got me off my ass and writing this again. To tell the truth, I skimped out on writing most of those fight scenes. I just didn't have it in me. Fights are hard to write. This chapter was short, I can't deny. I started writing again though, so it counts for something I guess. I hope you all enjoyed it and will forgive my long hiatus. And sorry about the mistakes. I'm gonna try and go through this story and edit it at some point. I'm lazy like that.


	22. Quirk

**This Time Around**

**By Crimson Skies**

**Chapter 22 - Quirk**

"Ah, there you are, my darling little genin!"

"Kakashi-sensei, we've been here on this bridge as usual, waiting, as usual, for three hours, as usual." Sakura cracked her knuckles. Kakashi smiled.

"Well, I'm glad to see that the fires of-"

"Stop channeling Gai-sensei. Seriously," Naruto interrupted. He was a bit grumpy. Upon returning from the exam the night before, he'd discovered that he'd forgotten to go to the store and stock up on more ramen. All the stores had been closed for the night. Then he'd overslept and had to rush to meet his team, not because he expected Kakashi to be there but because he knew Sasuke would be ticked if he missed their morning spar.

"Right, right." Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "I just came to say that you have the next three days off to rest up and recover from the exam. When we meet here again we'll be going on a little trip, so be prepared. Hokage-sama has all sort of errands for me to run now. See ya!"

He disappeared in a poof of smoke. Sakura and Naruto screamed after him while Sasuke suffered from his chronic eye twitch - the longer he was one Team Seven, the worse it got. The Uchiha shrugged and waited for his teammates to quiet down.

"He said we'd be going on a trip."

"I thought Kakashi-sensei was going to wait until after the exam," Naruto said, remembering what the jounin had said about a training trip.

"Huh?"

"Sorry Sakura. When Kakashi talked to us during the preliminaries he mentioned taking us on a training trip," Sasuke explained shortly.

Sakura was still a little confused, but she often felt that way when dealing with her team. She figured that the day everything they did made perfect sense was the day she finally left all traces of civilian life behind. Ninja were weird. She still wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"Really? But doesn't Naruto need to stay in Konoha for the finals? Wait, no, the exam isn't for a month. But then, why not just train Naruto?"

"Well, you see...the thing is Sakura-chan...it might sort of be punishment..." Naruto shuffled nervously, not meeting her eyes.

Sakura sighed. Of course it was. "For what?"

"Keeping things from teammates..."

"I don't want to know."

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other in some silent conversation. She really hated that. Really.

"Kakashi-sensei knows. You should too," Sasuke told her. Despite his words, the eye twitch was returning. She was starting to wonder if maybe he should get that looked at.

Sakura took a perch on the bridge's railing and braced herself. "Fine. Do your worst..."

An hour later she was still reeling a bit. It was overwhelming. Sasuke's brother, the two of them hiding their strength, manipulating their team placement...it was just too much. She found herself being irritated and awed all at once. Again it was like she was too far behind to ever catch up.

"What I don't get," she said slowly, turning the events over in her mind, "is why the villagers would dislike Naruto. I mean, it's kind of weird. I'd wondered a little before, but I didn't really realize how bad it was until we came back from Wave and I started paying attention." She looked down at the water. It was a little shaming to admit she'd never seen something so obvious and important, she who was supposedly so observant.

Naruto nodded at her, eyes resolute. His arms were crossed and he stood unusually still. "If I tell you, you can't tell anyone Sakura-chan. It's an S class secret. The penalty is death."

"I found out by accident." Sasuke's eyes were slits, holding some emotion she couldn't read.

Sakura gulped. Her nails bit into the wood of the rail. Curiosity won out. "Tell me."

"The Yondaime didn't killed the Kyuubi. He couldn't. Instead, he sealed it inside a newborn. I'm the container of the nine tailed fox." He watched her, unblinking. Naruto was waiting for her reaction she realized.

"Well," she said plainly, "that makes sense." She looked down What else was there to say? That now all the little things that confused her were starting to make sense? That she was sorry they had to go through all that? She knew by now that such sentiments would only make her teammates irritated. She sniffled quietly and made sure her face was neutral when she looked up. She could cry for her teammates alone. "Okay. I understand."

"That's it? You understand?" Naruto looked a bit taken aback.

"Oh my God! That's terrible! I had no idea! Wow! I feel really bad for you." Sakura exclaimed suddenly, hands clasping the side of her face. She ignored that fact that her voice was a little shaky at first. "Is that better?"

Naruto grinned at her while he poked Sasuke. "Look, look! She's got a sense of humor! Now we just have to find yours!"

"I have a sense of humor!" he spat, thought the corner of his mouth turned up the tiniest bit.

"A terrible one," Sakura intoned. She giggled when Sasuke glared at her. For once her teammates were starting to really make sense to her.

Wait a second...

"Oh no!" Sakura groaned loudly. A second later she buried her face in her hands. "Why me? It's all starting to make sense. I'm doomed. _Doomed_."

"Um, okay?" Naruto patted her on the back awkwardly. "I'm sure you'll be fine Sakura-chan. You're...um...a really good ninja?"

Sakura just wondered what strange quirks she was going to start developing.

* * *

A few miles outside Konoha's border a figure shifted from his perch in a tree. The flock of sparrows two trees over disappeared into the sky. Coming fully awake, the shinobi quickly surveyed his surroundings. Someone was approaching. Senbon appeared in his hands.

"It's me, Haku." Zabuza's voice came from beneath the tree. The senbon disappeared again. He landed silently on the ground beside his master.

"It is good to see you again, Zabuza-sama." Truly it was. He'd only gotten glimpses of his master in passing during their time in Sound.

"How is it, Haku?"

"It's just like they said. Konoha is much different from the Mist. I think they would agree to a deal. We could potentially be in a very good position."

"I have to agree. Those stupid brats are really something." His grin was reminiscent of a shark. "Some day I'd like to know where they got their information. It doesn't matter though, as long as I profit in the end." Zabuza shrugged. "I was skeptical, but..." He shook his head. "Looks like my trust in you really paid off this time."

Haku blushed at the compliment. It had been difficult at first to convince Zabuza to abandon their work for Gatou. After all, it was a huge setback to their scheme and Zabuza had badly wanted revenge against Kakashi. Of course, once Zabuza agreed it wasn't difficult to get him to agree to kill Gatou. Neither of them particularly liked the greedy little mole. Besides, they had to cover their tracks from the hunters.

Speaking of which, Haku still marveled at how things had turned out for them. When the two genin from Konoha had come to him with an alternative solution to their confrontation he'd been wary. What they said however made sense and was a better alternative to dying. And after the way they'd ganged up on him he had no doubt they had the upper hand.

Though he didn't have any idea how they'd gotten their information their plan was good. They'd given Zabuza and him enough funds to hide their tracks and make their way to the new Sound Village. Upon reaching it they had discovered that the information Naruto and Sasuke had given was correct. They were recruiting missing-nin and were only too happy to receive someone like Zabuza. Haku had joined a few days later, under the disguise of Kin whom he had disposed of.

While in Sound they had a steady supply of missions to earn money and protection from the hunter-nin. As long as they stayed out of Orochimaru's way (he didn't treat his subordinates well, as they'd been warned) it was workable. Meanwhile he and Zabuza had gathered all the information they could on Sound, including the upcoming invasion.

Konoha would be willing to pay a great deal for a spy in the middle of Orochimaru's village. They might even be willing to grant sanctuary to them within the Fire Country. Mists hunters wouldn't dare piss off Konoha by pursuing them. Meanwhile Zabuza could regroup until he was prepared to return to the Mist and finish what he started.

Zabuza wasn't the type to take orders from anyone for long. As soon as they got paid, he and Haku would abandon Sound. Assuming Konoha cooperated of course. Haku had a feeling it was going to work out well for them. Naruto and Sasuke had proven themselves to be worthwhile allies with the accuracy of their information thus far.

It was only a matter of time. Zabuza gestured for Haku to return to his position in hiding. He would observe while Zabuza made the deal to make sure nothing went wrong. The minutes passed quickly at first.

Then the time of the meeting passed. Haku began to wonder if the Konoha nin Zabuza had contacted would arrive. Had the man not gotten the message? An hour crept by.

"Where the hell is he?" Zabuza growled from below. Just then Haku sensed a presence nearby. Just barely, he could sense two others following the contact. They were probably ANBU sent to ensure his safety.

"Right here." The infamous Hatake Kakashi stepped out from the bushes. "Hm. So you are alive," he said upon seeing Zabuza.

"You're late!" Zabuza groused, slamming his sword into the ground.

"Ah, well, you see I got this message from a weird missing-nin and had to get authorization to meet with him and...well..." Kakashi shrugged.

"Whatever. I forgot how much your face pisses me off," Zabuza muttered. Haku couldn't help but grin. That was his master.

"Ah, sorry. What I'd like to know is why you've contacted me. Wouldn't it be better to play dead?"

Haku marveled once more at how the man could slouch and look dangerous at the same time. As relaxed as Kakashi seemed, he didn't dare move for fear of revealing himself. Last time he'd observed for Zabuza, he had remained farther away. Kakashi was really impressive.

"Yeah, well, the opportunity was just too perfect to pass up." Zabuza leaned up against a tree, also pretending to be unconcerned. Zabuza had send a clone disguised as a civilian with the message to Kakashi the day before. They'd sent just enough information to tempt Kakashi and Konoha into a meeting.

"Why me?"

"Simple. If you don't agree with my proposal I get to fight you and have my revenge." Zabuza offered him a ruthless grin. Kakashi actually chuckled a bit.

"I see, and what is your proposal? I'd rather not have to kill you twice, after all."

Zabuza glared at him. "I heard Sound was hiring missing nin. Turns out I don't like following the orders of their leader any more than I did the Mizukage. Since I've been there though, I've discovered a few things Konoha might be interested to know. If so, I might be willing to continue gathering information. For a price, of course."

"Of course. Though what information you could have that would make Konoha hire a missing nin, I have no idea," Kakashi responded, feigning disinterest. It was that laid back attitude that pissed his master off. Zabuza was working hard to contain his irritation, Haku knew. At the same time, he was probably amused at being able to hold information over Kakashi's head.

"Why the name of Sound's leader of course. As well as a few other unimportant tidbits," Zabuza taunted. "But why don't I just tell you and we'll see if the great Konoha is interested in hearing more?"

"Oh? So who is this mysterious leader?"

Zabuza's grin escalated from slightly homicidal to baby munching.

"Orochimaru."

And there was no way Kakashi was walking away after that.

* * *

Sasuke stared. He shifted from his perch on the bridge's rail. Then he uncrossed and crossed his arms. A sigh escaped him. He looked away and then back again.

Sakura fanned herself idly.

That was it. He couldn't take it anymore. He was curious. It was just so weird.

"That's it. Why?"

Sakura laughed. It was kind of creepy, and more than a little manic sounding. "I've decided to take the initiative. I'm going to come up with my own quirk before a weirder one creeps up on me," she informed him.

"...you're weird."

"I know. Isn't that the point?"

"..."

Sakura had shown up at the bridge that morning looking a great deal different than normal. She was wearing a shortened yukata that was dark green and patterned with lighter, mint green leaves and cherry blossoms that matched her hair - which was out of it the customary pigtails. Instead it was piled on her head in an elaborate style with several fancy looking hair sticks.

Rather than the normal sandals she was wearing a pair of tabi and zori sandals. She looked like a civilian at a festival or some kind of lady. In her hand was a heavy silk fan that was cream colored with a vivid depiction of a sakura tree in full bloom. Closer examination with a flash of sharingan beneath his bangs had revealed that the fan was made with metal and appeared very, very sharp at the edges.

"Don't give me that look," Sakura scolded. "I know I don't look like a ninja. That's the point. It's what people are supposed to think. Besides, this thing is surprisingly easy to move in." She pointed to her outfit. "And it's loose enough to conceal plenty of weapons as long as I use senbon instead of kunai so I don't have to wear my kunai holster."

"..."

"Look, appearances are important for me," Sakura said with a glint in her eye. "After all, I've decided to master genjutsu, and that's all about false appearances."

**END CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

A/N Well, well, well, look who's back after a year and a half. Dear God, has it really been that long? I won't apologize for taking so long. To be frank I had the wind taken right out of my sails. Silly Kishimoto, making Itachi a good guy. Seriously, I almost had a fit. I loved the guy because he was a great villain, not because he was secretly a good guy. Seriously. It took me a while to adjust to this new idea of Itachi. I still like him, but I kind of wish he'd remained a true villain. _Sigh_. Anyway, after that I just didn't feel like continuing this story for a while. Totally messed me up. Of course, oddly enough, my plot will end up working out really well in the end, though it took some tweaking to account for the latest revelations in canon. I always knew the Uchiha clan were jerks. Go figure.

This hasn't been proofed much. Sorry. I'm unrepentantly lazy. Think Shikamaru, only without the genius.


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